President Lee Jae Myung (right) holds a meeting with Ryota Takeda, chair of the Japan-Korea Parliamentarians' union, at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Friday. (Yonhap) President Lee Jae Myung said Friday that he hoped South Korea and Japan would become "even closer neighbors" during a meeting with Ryota Takeda, chair of the Japan-Korea Parliamentarians' Union, at Cheong Wa Dae.Lee met Takeda, a former internal affairs and communications minister who was appointed the union's new chair in March, succeeding former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, along with other members of the delegation."Korea and Japan are often described as 'close, yet distant neighbors.' I hope bilateral relations will continue to improve so that the two countries can become even closer neighbors," Lee said in his opening remarks."International relations have recently become increasingly complex and fluid, and I believe improving Korea-Japan relations at a time like this will benefit both countries."Lee underscored the importance of exchanges and cooperation between the Korea-Japan Parliamentarians' Union and the Japan-Korea Parliamentarians' Union, as well as people-to-people and leader-level exchanges between the two countries.The meeting was also attended by Rep. Joo Ho-young of the main opposition People Power Party, chair of the Korea-Japan Parliamentarians' Union, and Rep. Min Hong-chul of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, the union's secretary-general.In response, Takeda said through a Korean interpreter that it was "extremely encouraging" that shuttle diplomacy between the two countries was continuing.In Korea-Japan ties, shuttle diplomacy refers to regular reciprocal visits by the two countries' leaders."In particular, I believe the continuation of shuttle diplomacy in the hometowns of the two leaders sets a new model for bilateral relations," Takeda told Lee.Citing a recent report by a Japanese newspaper, Takeda said mutual trust between the Japanese and South Korean publics had surpassed 70 percent, adding that bilateral relations were currently in very positive shape."We must make every effort to ensure that this is not merely temporary, but continues well into the future," he said.Takeda also stressed the importance of economic cooperation, citing SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won's remarks at the Korea-Japan Business Conference in Tokyo in May that Japan-South Korea relations are "not a choice, but a must.""AI and semiconductors are now driving the global economy, and technological cooperation has made our relationship inseparable," Takeda told Lee.Takeda further underscored the importance of South Korea and Japan working together to help stabilize the global order."When it comes to security in Northeast Asia, both our countries are geographically surrounded by nuclear-armed states," Takeda said, drawing several nods from Lee."At a time when the global order is becoming increasingly unstable, it is the responsibility of Korea and Japan, as middle powers, to work together to help stabilize it," Takeda added.