Foreign ministers from South Korea and Japan met in Seoul on Monday to discuss strengthening their relations in the face of increasing security challenges in the region and political tumult in the host nation.

SEOUL: Japan's foreign minister held talks in South Korea with top officials on Monday (Jan 13) as the Asian neighbours seek to strengthen ties before the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump.

It marked the highest-level diplomatic meeting between the nations since South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s short-lived imposition of martial law last month, a move that has triggered political turmoil in one of Asia’s most vibrant democracies.

Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya will travel to South Korea on Monday to shore up security cooperation between the East Asian neighbours and their mutual U.S. ally that is meant to counter China's growing regional power.

Many foreign media analyses suggest that the visit aims to solidify President Joe Biden's political legacy in terms of the US' "Indo-Pacific Strategy" and strengthen relations with Asian allies such as South Korea and Japan.

The foreign ministers of South Korea and Japan will hold talks in the South Korean capital on Monday, as the key U.S. allies seek to underscore improved ties and shared security concerns amid the worst political crisis in decades in Seoul.

The top diplomats of South Korea and Japan were set to hold talks Monday on ways to sustain and advance bilateral ties, as well as trilateral cooperation with the United States, ahead of the launch of the second Donald Trump administration.