Japanese prime minister arrives in South Korea

Jan 11, 2009, 11:40 GMT

Seoul - Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso arrived in the South Korean capital of Seoul on Sunday, for a series of talks aimed at tightening economic cooperation between the two East Asian countries and bridging old wartime emnities.

The two leaders are due to meet on Monday and are expected to discuss, amongst other subjects, North Korea's atomic weapons programme, and the global economic crisis.

At an official reception dinner for Aso, South Korean President Lee Myung Bak said that it was important for the two countries to work closely together to survive the current 'unprecedented' economic situation.

Aso's delegation includes leading Japanese businessmen. Prior to a meeting with South Korean companies on Sunday, Aso called for an 'economic partnership agreement' between the two countries, towards liberalization of bilateral trade and commerce.

Lee, and former Japanese premier Yasuo Fukuda had in February 2008 re-commenced what was termed as 'pendulum diplomacy,' between the two countries, following a row over a shrine commemorating Japanese war dead. Korean resentment over the Japanese colonial occupation between 1910 and 1945 is still a thorny issue in the two countries' diplomatic ties.