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Reuters
Reuters
Business
By Choonsik Yoo, Hyonhee Shin and Sakura Murakami

Japan's PM tells South Koreans his 'heart hurts' over pain caused by occupation

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol attend a welcoming ceremony at the presidential office in Seoul on May 7, 2023. JUNG YEON-JE/Pool via REUTERS

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told South Koreans on Sunday his "heart hurts" when he thinks of suffering and pain during Japanese colonial rule, in a nod to historical disputes that have soured relations between the two U.S. allies.

Kishida was in Seoul for the first visit to the South Korean capital by a Japanese leader in 12 years, returning the trip South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol made to Tokyo in March where they sought to close a chapter on the historical disputes that have dominated Japan-South Korea relations for decades.

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