First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yun-joo met with Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Koichi Mizushima in Seoul on Friday, marking their first meeting since Park’s appointment.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two officials exchanged views on the overall state of South Korea-Japan relations.

Park welcomed the recent momentum in bilateral exchanges since the launch of South Korea’s new government and emphasized the need for closer communication to build a more mature partnership and to strengthen trilateral cooperation with the United States.

Mizushima congratulated Park on his appointment and pledged that the embassy will do its utmost to further improve relations, mentioning the success of last month’s event marking the 60th anniversary of diplomatic normalization.