TOKYO (The Japan News/ANN) - Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met Thursday with South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon and again demanded that South Korea take measures to improve its relations with Japan, which have deteriorated following issues such as lawsuits filed by South Korean former wartime requisitioned workers.

 Lee, who visited Japan to attend the Ceremony of the Emperor’s Enthronement, handed a personal letter from South Korean President Moon Jae-in to Abe. Their meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office lasted about 20 minutes.

  According to the Japanese government, Abe told Lee, “South Korea is urged to keep a promise made between nations and create an opportunity to bring back healthy relations between Japan and South Korea,” asking South Korea to end the current situation in which it is violating the Agreement on the Settlement of Problems Concerning Property and Claims and on Economic Cooperation.

 Abe said of bilateral relations: “Alliances between Japan and South Korea, as well as Japan, South Korea and the United States, over such issues as North Korea are extremely important. [The Japan-South Korea relationship] is facing severe difficulties, but we cannot leave these matters unresolved.”

  Abe also said, “It’s important at this time to continue interactions among lawmakers, citizens and regions,” to which Lee agreed.

  Lee touched on the agreement at the meeting, saying, “South Korea has valued this agreement just as much as Japan, and will continue to do so,” according to the South Korean government.

  In seeming reference to court rulings in South Korea ordering Japanese companies to compensate former wartime workers, Lee said, “We believed that both countries can pool their wisdom to overcome obstacles,” and emphasized his intention to continue dialogue.

  According to South Korean sources, Moon’s letter to Abe included the message: “Japan is an important partner with which we must cooperate for peace in northeast Asia. Let’s work to resolve pending matters as soon as possible.”

 Assets seized by the plaintiffs in the wartime labor suits could be converted into cash by the end of this year at the earliest, a step that would further damage relations between the two countries.

 Lee, who represents South Korean politicians who know Japan well, last held a meeting with Abe in September 2018.

  Thursday’s meeting was the highest-level bilateral dialogue between the countries since relations soured following a South Korean Supreme Court ruling last October ordering a Japanese company to pay damages to former wartime requisitioned workers, which led to Abe and Moon being unable to hold talks.