The leaders of Japan and South Korea have held talks in New York for about half an hour. They agreed to mend bilateral ties by addressing issues such as wartime labor disputes.

Japan's Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and South Korea's President Yoon Suk-yeol met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, local time.

They agreed that the two nations are important neighbors that need to work together. They also confirmed the importance for Japan and South Korea, as well as the United States, to deepen their cooperation.

They also agreed to work closely to address issues related to North Korea. Yoon reaffirmed his support for Japan's goal to resolve the abductions issue.

They confirmed that they will order an acceleration of ongoing diplomatic exchanges, including talks between their foreign ministers, as well as see that they themselves remain in close contact.

This is the first time a face-to-face verbal exchange has taken place between Kishida and Yoon since June, when the two visited Spain to attend a NATO summit.