Business leaders from South Korea and Japan vowed Wednesday to join forces on a free trade agreement in Northeast Asia and other key economic issues in the region.

Park Yong-maan, chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, one of South Korea's large business lobbies, held a meeting with Akio Mimura, president of the Japan Chamber of Commerce, in Fukuoka. There they discussed a variety of issues such as a proposed trilateral free trade deal among South Korea, Japan and China, and the U.S.-led regional free trade agreement known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

The meeting came on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic normalization of the two countries.

"I hope that businessmen from the two countries will work together for cooperation in fields such as environment and energy, which will help resolve daunting tasks facing the two countries," said Park.

Park said South Korea and Japan are playing a pivotal role in the Asian economy, adding that more close cooperation between the two countries will jack up their leadership in the region's economic, social and cultural aspects. (Yonhap)