The foreign ministers of Japan, China and South Korea have agreed to speed up laying the groundwork for the first three-way summit of their leaders since 2019.

Japan's Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko and her Chinese and South Korean counterparts, Wang Yi and Park Jin, held the first three-way foreign ministerial meeting in four years in Busan, South Korea, on Sunday.

They talked for about an hour and a half.

Kamikawa opened the meeting by acknowledging that the three neighbors sometimes face difficult issues. But she added that she wanted the meeting to serve as an opportunity to broaden cooperation.

The three ministers agreed that for the sake of regional and global peace and prosperity, it's important to promote pragmatic cooperation with a forward-looking perspective.

They also agreed to promote cooperation in six areas, including the economy and trade, and peace and security.

The ministers also exchanged views on North Korea's launch of what it claims to be a military spy satellite.

Kamikawa said Pyongyang should fully implement UN Security Council resolutions for the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

Turning to the Israel-Hamas conflict, the ministers agreed that improving the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is important, and diplomatic efforts must continue.

Kamikawa told reporters after the meeting that she will continue to work with Wang and Park to achieve concrete results in the next three-way summit as the international community faces a turning point after experiencing major challenges and changes.

A planned joint news conference and dinner were canceled. Japanese government sources said the timing was not good for the Chinese side.