Japan should be more reciprocative in efforts to solidify ties with South Korea, given the extent to which South Korean President Kim Dae Jung has pursued forward-looking bilateral relations, according to Seoul's ambassador to Japan, Choi Sang Yong.

South Korean Ambassador to Japan Choi Sang Yong discusses bilateral ties in a recent interview.

Since Kim's visit to Japan in October 1998, when he agreed with the late Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi to build a new bilateral partnership and put the past behind them, Seoul has gradually opened its doors to Japanese cultural influences, such as music and cinema.