South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki Moon has told Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe, the front-runner to become Japan's next prime minister, of Seoul's readiness to resume summit talks, sources close to the bilateral relationship said Sunday.

Ban, in a meeting with Abe in Tokyo on Aug. 9, also invited him to South Korea soon if he succeeds Junichiro Koizumi, they said.

South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun has refused to hold a summit with Koizumi since November in protest of his visits to Yasukuni Shrine.

Abe, meanwhile, pledged to establish "strong solidarity" with South Korea and China in his policy platform announced Friday.

In line with such reconciliatory moves, diplomatic authorities in both nations have started arranging a summit during a meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum to be held in Hanoi in mid-November, the sources said.

According to the sources, Ban told Abe to "correct historical perception and overcome issues of the past."

Ban also said, "President Roh is prepared to hold summit talks to make a future-oriented relationship" with Japan, and told Abe to visit his country any time.

On Friday, Roh told South Korean media of his readiness to deal with "every issue, including summit talks" with Japan as long as the next prime minister "corrects his historical perception," while saying "expectations are high in South Korea" over Abe.

Japanese and South Korean leaders began engaging in "shuttle diplomacy" in July 2004, holding two summits a year -- one in each country -- in an informal atmosphere, but South Korea called the arrangement off due to Koizumi's repeated visits to the shrine.