Abe's conciliatory letter delivered to S. Korean president

A conciliatory letter from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo to South Korean President Park Geun-hye was delivered on Thursday as the two leaders had yet to sit down face-to-face for a bilateral summit.

Natuso Yamaguchi, head of Japan's New Komeito Party who is visiting Seoul, paid a courtesy call earlier Thursday morning to Park at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae, delivering Abe's letter to her, the Yonhap News Agency reported.

Yamaguchi was quoted as saying that he delivered to President Park Abe's letter which said the two nations have maintained exchanges and stability through cooperation since 1965 when Seoul and Tokyo normalized diplomatic relations.

The Korean Peninsula was colonized by the militarist Japan for about 35 years through 1945. Park has refused to hold a bilateral summit with Abe since her inauguration in early 2013, citing his wrong perception of history.

Abe said through his letter that he was anticipating making a future together with South Korea.

During her meeting with Yamaguchi, Park said that she was anticipating Abe participating in the trilateral summit between China, South Korea and Japan, according to the Komeito Party chief.

Park, however, made no mention of the bilateral summit between her and Abe.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Park have agreed to hold the summit with Abe in late October or early November.