Asahi reported from Seoul on remarks made to the press on Thursday by South Korean President Yoon, who said that preparations are underway for him to hold talks with Prime Minister Kishida on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Madrid in late June. With regard to the bilateral history disputes, the ROK leader said: “Our hope is that such bilateral issues will be resolved peacefully through promoting mutual cooperation for the future.” Yoon reportedly added that it is premature to state that a meeting will “definitely” be held, with the daily speculating that some Japanese officials are cautious about holding a “politically risky” session in the middle of the July Upper House election campaign.