The leaders of Japan and South Korea have agreed to meet soon to try to repair the two countries' frayed relations.
Japan's new prime minister, Shinzo Abe, and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun agreed to the meeting during a telephone conversation Thursday. No specific date was set for their talks.
South Korea and China have shunned summits with Japan since last year, due to Beijing and Seoul's anger over former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's repeated visits to a controversial wartime shrine in Tokyo. The Yasukuni shrine honors all of Japan's war dead, including convicted World War Two criminals.
Mr. Abe's foreign minister, Taro Aso, has said the new prime minister may visit China for a summit as early as October.
Japan's parliament elected Mr. Abe prime minister on Tuesday.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters