South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se said Tuesday that Japan having an accurate perception of historical events will serve as a crucial watershed to restore frayed relations between the two countries.

"A turning point is needed to make qualitative changes in Seoul-Tokyo relations," Yoon said during a seminar with S. Korean and Japanese journalists in Seoul.

The minister further said the Japanese government should realize that a distorted historical view is one of the most crucial factors hindering advances in the relations.

"(Japan's) inaccurate perception of historical events brings up various problems, like Pandora's box, when they are combined with politics and diplomacy," Yun said.

Seoul-Tokyo relations remain tense due to a territorial spat over South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo, to which Japan has repeatedly laid claim. Japan's unrepentant attitude toward its wartime crimes and its recent push to strengthen its military power have also strained relations between the two countries.

However, Yun expressed optimism, saying that the current strained relations would be improved easily once Tokyo faces the core of the problem. (Yonhap News)