The leaders of Japan and South Korea break the ice at the NATO summit in Madrid

MADRID, 29 Jun. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The South Korean president, Yoon Suk Yeol, and the Japanese prime minister, Fumio Kishida, held a conversation for a few minutes during dinner on Tuesday as part of the NATO summit in Madrid, something unthinkable until a few days ago due to the tense bilateral relations.

The press office of the South Korean Presidency has reported that Kishida and Yoon had three or four minutes of conversation during the dinner offered by King Felipe to those attending the summit. The Japanese government has also confirmed the meeting, according to the press from both countries.

Kishida congratulated Yoon on his recent inauguration and his party's victory in local elections on June 1, and noted the South Korean leader's efforts to improve relations.

For his part, Yoon conveyed to Kishida his willingness to resolve the pending issues between the two countries and move "into the future" after the Japanese Senate elections scheduled for July 10.

It is the first meeting between Yoon and Kishida as leaders of their respective countries, although a bilateral meeting is not planned in Madrid. They will see each other this Wednesday in a trilateral meeting with the US president, Joe Biden, an unprecedented meeting since 2017.

Both parties are at odds over the discourse on Japanese rule of Korea (1910-1945), which still affects trade and bilateral cooperation despite both being allies against North Korea.