By Park Hye Ri and Lee Jihae
President Moon Jae-in on Nov. 4 held his first talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in more than a year on the sidelines of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Plus Three (Korea, China and Japan) Summit in Bangkok, Thailand.
Cheong Wa Dae Spokesperson Ko Min-jung said in a written briefing, "The two leaders held a conversation for about 11 minutes, from 8:35 a.m. to 8:46 a.m., before the ASEAN Plus Three Summit. The talks were held in an amicable and serious atmosphere."
Their meeting was their first since September last year at the U.N. General Assembly in New York.
Both men agreed on the importance of bilateral relations and reaffirmed that the issues between the two countries must be resolved through dialogue, Ko said, adding, "The two leaders hoped that the discussions going on through the official channel of the two countries' foreign ministries will yield practical methods for the improvement of ties."
President Moon suggested a high-level discussion if necessary and Abe proposed a resolution through "all possible means."
Prior to the Bangkok meeting, President Moon held talks with the leaders of Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.
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