South Korean president calls Japan 'partner' on Liberation Day

On Tuesday, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol called Japan a "partner" that shares his country's values and common interests as he aims to strengthen ties with Tokyo in response to North Korea's growing nuclear threats.

Relations between North and South are at one of their lowest points in decades, with diplomacy stalled and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un calling for increased weapons development, including tactical nukes.

In response, Yoon has pulled South Korea closer to long-standing ally Washington while seeking to bury the hatchet with Japan.

At the event marking the anniversary of liberation from Japan's rule, Yoon said the two "are now partners who share universal values and pursue common interests". He reiterated that Tokyo, Seoul and Washington must "share North Korea's nuclear weapons and missiles data in real-time". 

Leaders of the three allies said in June that they aimed to launch a system allowing the real-time sharing of information about North Korean missiles before the end of 2023. They are set to hold a trilateral summit in the United States on Friday.