An official in Seoul said Moon’s personal letter congratulated Japan on the new imperial era of Reiwa and wished for an improvement in bilateral ties. ADADCho said Lee and Abe agreed the two countries must improve their ties and that coordination between them and with Washington was important. ADRelations have worsened since Japan in July tightened export controls on key high-tech materials used by South Korean manufacturers. Abe, in his meeting with Lee, reiterated Japan’s position that South Korea should keep its promise, referring to the 1965 agreement. ___Associated Press writers Hyung-jin Kim and Kim Tong-hyung in Seoul, South Korea, contributed to this report.

Source: Washington Post October 24, 2019 04:18 UTC