Abe to play a positive role by paying special attention to these issues in the future," Ban said in response to reporters' questions over whether the two discussed the territorial and Yasukuni disputes.
In a separate news conference, Abe said the Yasukuni issue did not directly come up.
"Regarding the history issues, Mr. Ban said it is necessary to resolve matters that have surfaced since March and asked me to exercise leadership in dealing with the problems," he said.
Abe, considered the front-runner to become the next prime minister in September, said he interpreted Ban's remarks as referring to the historical context behind the overlapping exclusive economic zones and rights to conduct marine surveys around South Korea-controlled islets in the Sea of Japan.
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