The leader of the nation’s main opposition party on Monday urged President Park Geun-hye to pursue talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, saying disagreements over history should no longer hold back summit meetings.

“Our differences with Japan (over history) must be resolved through policies based on principles. But the disagreements themselves should no longer be cited as reasons for not holding summit talks with Japan,” New Politics Alliance for Democracy chair Rep. Moon Hee-sang said.

Sour relations between the two Asian neighbors have persisted during President Park’s term, apparently due to South Korea’s distaste for Abe’s revisionist views on history. The prime minister has made statements denying Japanese atrocities during World War II.

Moon also “welcomed” Japanese Emperor Akihito’s New Year remarks, as they seemed to imply remorse over Japan’s aggression in the Second World War. The Japanese royal had said “it was most important” for Japan to “learn from” World War II when considering its future policies.

“The Abe administration should heed Emperor Akihito’s words of learning from the past,” Moon said.

Relations between Seoul and Tokyo have worsened in recent years. Park has apparently refused to hold bilateral talks with Abe due to the prime minister’s historical views. U.S. President Barack Obama attempted to mend ties by mediating a trilateral meeting last March.

Prime Minister Abe’s statements denying any forcible recruitment of sex slaves by the Japanese military has especially enraged South Korea.

The Japanese military either forcibly recruited or tricked into enslavement thousands of Asian and some Dutch women who are euphemistically called comfort women. Many of the former slaves are from Korea, with the average age of the surviving victims close to 89.

Abe has not shown signs he will retract from his revisionist views. Most recently, the Japanese government on Dec. 24 posted a YouTube video that supported Tokyo’s claims over Dokdo, South Korean islets in the East Sea whose ownership Japan contests.

The move reignited an issue that has been a major source of tension between Seoul and Tokyo.

The main opposition leader also expressed his support for bilateral talks with North Korea.

“This year marks the 70th anniversary of our liberation from Japanese colonial rule, and our country’s postwar division. It is time to end seven decades of rivalry and begin a new age of peace,” Moon said.

By Jeong Hunny (hj257@heraldcorp.com)