The leader of the junior partner in Japan's ruling coalition said Thursday that he delivered to President Park Geun-hye a personal letter from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, which includes his hopes for future-oriented bilateral relations.

Natsuo Yamaguchi, leader of Komeito, made the remarks to reporters in Seoul after meeting with Park earlier in the day. He arrived in Seoul on Wednesday for a three-day stay.

"Since 1965, when South Korea and Japan normalized their diplomatic ties, the two countries have maintained cooperative relations. (In his letter), Abe expressed his hope for building future-oriented relations with Seoul," Yamaguchi said.

Yamaguchi said he hopes that Park and Abe can hold summit talks on the sidelines of an upcoming trilateral summit among South Korea, China and Japan.

The three countries are expected to hold their first trilateral summit in more than three years in South Korea at the end of this month or the start of next month.

Japan's refusal to face up to its wartime atrocities has been the main source of diplomatic tension between Seoul and Tokyo.

Since taking office in early 2013, Park has shunned a summit with Abe, calling for Japan to sincerely apologize for its sexual enslavement of Korean women during World War II.

With regard to Yamaguchi's proposal, Park did not make any comments on a possible summit with Abe, according to a government source.

Touching on the sex slave issue, the Japanese politician said Park showed her strong will to resolve the matter as it warrants urgency, given the victims' old age.

South Korea demands Japan acknowledge state responsibility for the issue and offer proper compensation, while Tokyo insists the matter was settled under a 1965 treaty that normalized bilateral ties.

In 2007, more than 120 South Korean victims were alive, but the number has since dropped to 47, with their average age standing at nearly 90.

"I told Park that there needs to be strong political will to deal with many issues, vowing hopes for efforts by Seoul and Tokyo to resolve this issue," Yamaguchi said.

On concerns over Japan's greater military role abroad, Yamaguchi said that Japan will make efforts to dispel worries by its neighboring country over Tokyo's recent legislation on security to South Korea.

Japan's Diet enacted contentious security legislation in late September that allows Japan to exercise the right to collective self-defense. The move permits Tokyo to fight alongside its allies even when it is not under attack. (Yonhap)