Japanese, S. Korean leaders discuss future ties, efforts over Pyongyang

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vowed on Friday to improve frayed ties between the US allies. Abe had previously hinted he might skip Friday’s opening ceremony for the South’s PyeongChang Winter Olympics as the two nations continue to lock horns over the issue of former wartime sex slaves. In a meeting ahead of the Olympics opening ceremony, Moon expressed a desire to improve ties but stressed a need to “confront the history,” AFP reports. Abe said that “a promise” made between the nations should be respected as a “cornerstone of the bilateral relationship.” He also voiced concerns over North Korea’s nuclear threats but warned that “dialogue for the sake of dialogue is meaningless,” according to his office.