KOLNEWS_2019-11-04_1600_01_246737

Following a brief encounter yesterday evening,... President Moon met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe again today for talks one on one.
This time, they sat down for more than 10 minutes,... agreeing on the need to resolve their issues through dialogue.
Our Park Hee-jun reports from Bangkok. An unexpected meeting in Bangkok.
President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had a one-on-one conversation as they were waiting for the ASEAN Plus Three summit to begin on Monday.
"President Moon and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had talks in a friendly but serious atmosphere. The two leaders shared the opinion that South Korea-Japan relations are important, and reaffirmed the principle of resolving bilateral issues through dialogue."
During the 11-minute long talks, initiated by President Moon,... the two leaders expressed hope that the ongoing negotiations through the foreign ministries would help improve ties.
They also shared openness to all possible options to find a solution, including a form of higher-level discussions.
Their last official talks took place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in 2018.
Seoul-Tokyo relations took a sharp downturn following the Seoul Supreme Court's ruling last year that ordered Japanese firms to compensate South Korean victims of wartime forced labor.
Ties further worsened after Japan imposed export curbs on Korea's tech-heavy materials,... prompting the South Korean government to take countermeasures of its own,... one being the termination of the General Security of Military Information Agreement.
Various factors could have driven this positive change.
President Moon's letter was hand-delivered to Abe by South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon during his recent visit to Tokyo.
And Abe sent a message of condolence to Moon over his mother's passing last week.
Chile's abrupt cancellation of the APEC summit later this month also meant there would be fewer opportunities for the two sides to meet before their intel-sharing pact, known as GSOMIA, expires at the end of the month.
The presidential spokesperson did not elaborate on whether Moon and Abe discussed the sensitive issues of GSOMIA or forced labor.
But she said the Blue House anticipates their ties to advance in a friendly and forward-looking manner.
And with their meeting having happened unexpectedly,... the spokesperson could not rule out the possibility of additional discussions before the president departs for Seoul.
"A series of surprises regarding South Korea-Japan relations. With the two countries agreeing to resolve their differences through dialogue,... there are now better prospects of some fresh change in bilateral ties. And this could hopefully create a positive atmosphere for an anticipated trilateral summit with China this December. Park Hee-jun, Arirang News, Bangkok."