Timing of S. Korea-Japan summit too early to say: presidential office

ABU DHABI -- The office of President Yoon Suk Yeol said Monday it is too early to say when Yoon will hold another summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida following a news report that it was being scheduled for as early as next month.

The Donga Ilbo newspaper carried the report earlier Monday, saying Kishida told a news conference in Washington that he and Yoon agreed to swiftly settle the issue of compensation for Korean victims of Japanese wartime forced labor.

"The two leaders agree on the need to resolve pending issues and improve relations between South Korea and Japan, and are focusing on that point," a senior presidential official told reporters in Abu Dhabi, where Yoon is on a four-day state visit.

"We're holding intense discussions while taking into consideration the various opinions of the victims and other related parties, so I believe we'll be able to decide after watching the results of the discussions a little longer," the official added.

When asked if a summit could take place in February, the official said, "It's too early to say when yet." (Yonhap)