PM Meets Abe at Eastern Economic Forum

South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia on Tuesday.

In a one-on-one meeting, Abe said Tokyo is keen to normalize relations with Pyongyang if the two sides can resolve issues in their unhappy past like the North's bizarre campaign of abducting Japanese citizens and the North's buildup of ballistic missiles.

Abe also called for close cooperation among neighboring countries in the pursuit of regional peace and stability through complete denuclearization of North Korea.

Lee said improvements in Tokyo's ties with Pyongyang will contribute to establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia as a whole.