President Park Geun-hye will attend the Japanese Embassy's reception this week to mark the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties with Japan, Cheong Wa Dae announced Sunday.
"President Park plans to participate in the event to be held on Monday afternoon," at a Seoul hotel, the presidential office said.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will also attend a similar ceremony to be hosted by the South Korean Embassy in Tokyo on Monday, added Cheong Wa Dae.
"We look forward to developing ties between the two countries in a future-oriented way through the attendance of the two leaders," said Cheong Wa Dae.
Park will hold a meeting with Fukushiro Nukaga, Abe's special envoy, prior to the Seoul reception, said Cheong Wa Dae.
Abe will also hold talks with visiting South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se prior to the Tokyo reception, it added.
The decision by Park and Abe apparently reflects their resolve to improve relations between the Northeast Asian neighbors that have long been strained over shared history.
They initially decided to have their congratulatory messages read out by their envoys at the ceremonies.
"President Park is expected to deliver a message to mend ties over the past history and to look forward to the next 50 years in a future-oriented way," said a Cheong Wa Dae official.
Cheong Wa Dae's announcement came as the foreign ministers of the two sides held talks in Tokyo earlier in the day.
(Yonhap)
