Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, right, shakes hands with Koichi Mizushima, Japan's new ambassador to Korea, during their meeting at the ministry building in central Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul stressed the importance of a mutually considerate attitude in bilateral ties with Japan as he met with Koichi Mizushima, the country's new ambassador to South Korea, on Friday, Cho's office said.

In their meeting, Cho said the two countries should manage pending issues wisely by putting themselves in each other's shoes to bolster a positive flow in bilateral ties, according to the foreign ministry, adding that as Seoul and Tokyo are set to mark the 60th anniversary of normalizing their ties next year.

Mizushima agreed on the importance of managing pending issues smoothly based on mutual understanding and expressed hope that the two countries will continue to communicate closely based on trust between their leaders and foreign ministers.

Both sides assessed that South Korea, the United States and Japan are closely cooperating in the face of deepening ties between North Korea and Russia, the ministry said. They also concurred on the importance of sustaining such cooperation on various occasions, such as multilateral talks.

Relations between the two neighboring countries have significantly improved since President Yoon Suk Yeol took office in May 2022. The conservative administration has emphasized the importance of cooperation for the benefit of future generations.

Mizushima arrived in Seoul in May to replace outgoing envoy, Koichi Aiboshi. (Yonhap)