South Korea President Says Japan Has Become Partner Against 'Common Threats'

South Korean president says his country and Japan must overcome their historical disputes in the face of "common threats."

What Happened: South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, on Monday, marking Korea's liberation day, said the two nations had become partners in tackling threats to global freedom, adding that his government wants to "swiftly and properly improve" bilateral ties.

Korea's liberation day marks the 1945 end of Japan's colonial rule of the Korean peninsula.

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"When Korea-Japan relations move toward a common future, and when the mission of our times align, based on our shared universal values, it will also help us solve the historical problems that exist between our two countries," Yoon said, according to South China Morning Post.

This came after the two nations' foreign ministers met in Tokyo last month, seeking a resolution to the issue of compensation for Koreans conscripted during the colonial period to work in factories.

Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida sent a virtual offering to a controversial Tokyo shrine for the war heroes. He said, "we will never again repeat the horrors of war. I will continue to live up to this determined oath."

"In a world where conflicts are still unabated, Japan is a proactive leader in peace," he added.

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