South Korea's Foreign Minister has stressed the need for his country and Japan to make increased efforts to improve relations.
Yun Byung-se spoke on Sunday at a Japan-South Korea exchange event in Seoul that is being held to mark the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties between the 2 countries.
A group of students from a Japanese school in Seoul and a South Korean youth choir from the city sang songs from their nations.
Yun said in his speech that it is not unusual for neighboring countries to experience tension and friction with each other sometimes.
He said people in South Korea and Japan and their governments should make further efforts to increase trust in each other so they can become genuinely close neighbors.
The venue also has a section featuring Japanese culture and recent trends. Young female visitors formed a long line in front of a set recreating a popular scene from a Japanese animation. A man, as an act of confession or seduction, corners a woman against a wall with one hand while hitting it and making a slapping sound.
A similar 2-day event will be held in Tokyo from September 26th.