Japan, South Korea tone down feud at summit yet disputes remain

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe having a chat with South Korea's President Moon Jae-in during their meeting in Chengdu, China, on Tuesday (Dec 24). - Reuters

BEIJING: In a landmark summit, the leaders of Japan and South Korea signalled they wouldn’t let relations spin out of control even as they made little progress in resolving disputes that have plunged relations to new depths.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in told Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that cooperation was crucial in the face of regional security threats as the two began their 45-minute meeting on the sidelines of a trilateral summit hosted by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in Chengdu. Abe agreed, and said he also hoped to improve the relationship.