1. With regard to the launch of a new Cabinet in Japan, the Government of the Republic of Korea hopes that the Japanese government will make sincere efforts to advance its friendly and cooperative relations with its neighboring countries toward peace, stability and co-prosperity in Northeast Asia.

2. In particular, the Government of the Republic of Korea hopes that ahead of the 50th anniversary of the normalization of the ROK-Japan relations, its important neighbor Japan sharing diverse interests and values will make efforts to move the bilateral relations forward in a future-oriented way based on a correct view of history.

                 Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFA

* unofficial translation