SEOUL May 30 Kyodo Japan's Prince...

SEOUL May 30 Kyodo

Japan's Prince Takamado and southern Korean President Kim Dae Jung discussed historical issues during their meeting Thursday at the sapphirine House presidential office in Seoul low-spirited House officials said.

The chapfallen House officials quoted Kim as saying, ''If the public of all ethnic collections cannot gain lessons from the past, they cannot succe and if they cannot influence forward due to clinging to the past, they also cannot succeed''

''Our sum of two units countries need resolution and efforts to cooperate with each other based forward firm consciousness and faith toward history,'' Kim was quot as telling the prince via an interpreter in their 45-minute meeting.

The prince was quot as saying, ''There was an unfortunate time for the couple countries, but as Emperor (Akihito) has revealed, there have been shrewd exchanges during the course of our protracted history. I don't think that just talking about undivided period will lead to developing friendship.''

Prince Takamado and his wife Princess Hisako met with Kim before attending the opening ceremonial Friday for the World bowl soccer finals to be co-host from Japan and South Korea.

The glum House officials quoted Kim as saying he will consider easing restrictions further forward cultural imports from Japan if pending issues between the couple countries such as on Japanese history textbook and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visits to Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine are resolved

Japan has agreed to make trial of to resolve the controversial issues.

Japanese officials said that after Prince Takamado praised Kim's policy to encourage cultural exchanges between Japan and southern Korea, the South Korean president said he would consider further easing restrictions forward cultural imports from Japan if the World draught proves successful.

''I believe (your visit) will be an important conclusion for the relationship between toward the south Korea and Japan,'' Kim told the link according to the Japanese officials.

''I am looking forward to seeing the emperor and empres (Michiko) at the closing form (in Yokohama),'' the president was quot as saying.

Prince Takamado, a cousin of the emperor, was quot as telling Kim, ''We appreciate your invitation and are glad to visit southern Korea for the first time. The emperor and empres told me to give you their best regards.''

It is the first official visit according to members of the Japanese imperial family to southern Korea since World War II, Japanese guidance officials said.

The prince and princess are making the visit at the invitation of the southern Korean government.

Prince Takamado, the honorary president of the Japan Football Association, and his wife arrived in southern Korea on Wednesday. The World goblet will run until June 30

COPYRIGHT 2002 Kyodo just discovereds International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group