South Korea, Japan mark 60 years of diplomatic ties at reception on Monday

President Lee Jae-myung called for a continued partnership between South Korea and Japan, as the two countries marked 60 years since the normalizing of diplomatic relations.

On Monday, the Japanese Embassy in Seoul held a reception to celebrate the milestone, with a video message from the South Korean leader, who could not attend in person due to his trip to Canada for the G7 Summit.

He emphasised the "remarkable progress" made by Korea and Japan over the past 60 years in various fields such as economics, culture, and people-to-people exchanges.

Lee said the two nations were important partners that must jointly address the rapidly changing international environment, calling on both to move "hand in hand toward a better future" --the official slogan for the 60th anniversary.

The Korean Embassy in Tokyo will also host a reception on Thursday, which Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is expected to attend personally.

The two countries signed the 1965 Treaty on Basic Relations twenty years after South Korea was liberated from Japan's colonial rule, when the imperial power surrendered, ending World War Two.