President Yoon Suk Yeol, center in the front row, poses for a photo with members of the Korea-Japan Friendship Association and the Japan-Korea Friendship Association at the presidential office in Seoul, Oct. 13, in this photo provided by the office. Yonhap

President Yoon Suk Yeol said Friday that the increasing pace of exchanges between Korea and Japan shows it is the will of both countries’ people to improve and develop the bilateral relationship, according to his office.

Yoon made the remark while meeting with members of the Korea-Japan Friendship Association and the Japan-Korea Friendship Association, who are set to hold a joint conference later in the day to mark the 25th anniversary of a key declaration that called for overcoming the unfortunate past of Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula, and building new relations.

The 1998 joint declaration, which was adopted by former President Kim Dae-jung and former Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi, also contained Obuchi’s expression of remorse for the “horrendous damage and pain” Japan’s colonial rule inflicted on the Korean people.

“The president noted that visits and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries are quickly recovering following the COVID-19 pandemic, and said this is evidence that the improvement and development of Korea-Japan relations are the wish and will of the two countries’ peoples,” the presidential office said in a press release.

Yoon also said he believes the two countries will be able to “open a new future over and beyond the period when Korea-Japan relations were at their best, if they have exchanges, cooperate and build trust.”

The president asked the two associations to continue to play a role in promoting mutual understanding and friendly relations between the two countries, including between their provinces and young generations.

The Korea-Japan Friendship Association is led by former Korean Ambassador to Tokyo Yoo Heung-soo, while the Japan-Korea Friendship Association is headed by former Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura.

During the meeting, Kawamura and other leaders of the association said the effects of improved Korea-Japan relations are being felt closely by the Japanese people.

They also promised to continually work to improve the bilateral relationship, citing the need for more exchanges between the younger generations, including by possibly resuming a bilateral school trip program.

Korea-Japan relations have improved significantly under Yoon, after his administration decided in March to compensate Korean victims of Japanese wartime forced labor without asking for contributions from the Japanese companies involved. (Yonhap)