South Korean President Kim Dae Jung arrived in Japan on Friday for a three-day visit during which he was to meet Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori and other government officials. Mr Kim, accompanied by his wife Lee Hee Ho, cabinet ministers and cultural and economic representatives, landed at Tokyo's Haneda Airport ahead of weekend talks in the hot spring resort of Atami, southwest of the capital.
Mr Mori and Mr Kim were expected to discuss strengthening bilateral cultural exchanges and ways to deal with Communist North Korea at their meeting on Saturday.
The two leaders will likely focus on promoting further cultural exchanges in line with South Korea's gradual opening to various forms of Japanese culture.
They were also expected to discuss steps for reaching a free-trade agreement, cooperation in information technology and South Korea's trade deficit.
On Friday afternoon, Mr Kim will have a tea party with cultural representatives from Japan and South Korea and a banquet with business leaders from the two countries in Tokyo, according to a Japanese foreign minister spokesman.
Bureau Report