ISTANBUL

South Korea's Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Tuesday that Seoul aims to strengthen ties with allies based on a "pragmatic" foreign policy, during a meeting with his Japanese counterpart, Iwaya Takeshi, in Tokyo.

Cho is on his first overseas trip since taking office, visiting Japan and the US. He emphasized the importance of close cooperation between Tokyo and Seoul on various issues, including the Indo-Pacific region, according to Seoul-based Yonhap News.

Iwaya expressed his intention to "have thorough discussions" with Cho on ways "to realize stable development" of bilateral relations, regional situations, and cooperation among Japan, South Korea, and the United States.

"We would like to cultivate a relationship of trust and confidence," said Iwaya ahead of the meeting.

Before departing for Tokyo, Cho stated: "The reason I am going to Japan first is because I believe it will help upgrade not only our bilateral relations with Japan, but also trilateral cooperation with the US and Japan," according to the Korea Times daily.

"I don't think there has ever been a case where a foreign minister's first trip abroad after taking office was to Japan," Cho added.

"The Lee Jae Myung government seeks to strengthen ties with friendly nations based on its pragmatic foreign policy," Cho said.

"I believe that if friendly nations closely work together, and communicate and formulate external strategies together, we can not only overcome crisis but also turn it into an opportunity," he said.

Ties between Seoul and Tokyo have experienced fluctuations following decades of tensions stemming from Japan's colonization of the Korean Peninsula before World War II.

After holding talks in Tokyo, Cho will travel to the United States, where he is scheduled to meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for talks in Washington on Thursday.

"We will do our utmost to draw up a proposal that centers on national interest and enables a mutually beneficial agreement between South Korea and the US," Cho said.

Seoul and Tokyo are longstanding military allies of Washington in the Asia-Pacific region. Under separate defense treaties, more than 28,500 American troops are deployed in South Korea, while Japan hosts over 50,000 US troops.