(VOVworld) – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Park Geun-hye have indirectly sent each other messages expressing hope for repairing bilateral relations this year, a Japanese lawmaker said Thursday.A visiting South Korean parliamentary delegation, led by Suh Chung-won, conveyed the message from Park to Abe, lawmaker Fukushiro Nukaga told reporters after attending their meeting. Park’s message said that South Korea wants to mark a new beginning in its relations with Japan and will try to improve them. Abe said he would like to make 2015 a year to improve Japan-South Korea relations.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the normalization of bilateral diplomatic ties between Japan and South Korea.