Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told South Koreans on Sunday that his "heart hurts" when he thinks of their suffering and pain during Japanese colonial rule, Reuters reports.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting with President Yoon Suk-yeol, Kishida refrained from making new official apologies for atrocities committed during the 1910-1945 occupation, but said his government upheld the position of previous administrations, some of which had apologized.
“For me personally, my heart hurts when I think of the many people who endured terrible suffering and grief under the difficult circumstances of the time,” he said.
In turn, Yoon said, “We should stay away from a thinking that we must not make a step forward for our future cooperation because our history issues aren’t settled completely.”
Kishida became the first Japanese leader to visit South Korea in 12 years. His trip came after South Korean leader's [Yoon Suk-yeol] visit to Tokyo last month.