S.Korea urges improved ties with Japan on freedom anniversary

FILE PHOTO: South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol speaks during a ceremony marking Korean Memorial Day at the Seoul National cemetery on June 06, 2022 in Seoul, South Korea. Chung Sung-Jun/Pool via REUTERS

SEOUL (Reuters) -South Korea must overcome historical disputes with Japan and achieve peace with North Korea as key steps towards bolstering the stability and security of the North Asian region, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said on Monday.

Speaking at a ceremony to mark the 1945 end of Japan's colonial rule of the Korean peninsula, Yoon said Tokyo had become a partner in tackling threats to global freedom, and urged both nations to overcome disputes dating to those days.