AKP Phnom Penh, February 22, 2024 --The following are the foreign exchange rates against the Riel (Cambodian Currency) released by the National Bank, February 22, 2024. Source: Agence Kampuchea Presse The top diplomats of South Korea and Japan have agreed to continue bilateral cooperation to address North Korean issues during their talks on the margins of a foreign ministerial gathering of the Group of 20 countries in Brazil, Tokyo's foreign ministry said Thursday. Seoul's Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and his counterpart, Yoko Kamikawa, reached the agreement on Wednesday during their first in-person meeting since Cho took office last month. "The two ministers exchanged their views on North Korea, which continues provocative actions, and concurred to continue to work together," the ministry said in an English release on its website. "They confirmed close cooperation on North Korea's human right issues, including the abductions issue." Noting that the two countries have made "significant strides" in their relations since last year, Kamikawa said that she is "eager" to further broaden cooperation in a wide range of fields and deepen bilateral coordination this year, according to the release. "The two mini sters discussed issues of interest in bilateral relations and concurred on continuing close communication, bearing in mind that next year marks the 60th anniversary of the normalization of the Japan-ROK relations," it said, referring to South Korea by its official name, the Republic of Korea. The agreement on cooperation came after Cho and Kamikawa spoke by phone last month and agreed to work in tandem with the United States to respond to Pyongyang's provocative acts. During Wednesday's talks, Kamikawa also expressed "strong regret" that the bereaved family of a South Korean victim of Japan's wartime forced labor received compensation from a Japanese firm this week, according to her ministry. Their meeting came amid growing attention to Japan's diplomatic outreach to the North for a potential summit between Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Observers said that while focusing on the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by the North decades ago, Kishida could potenti ally play a role to create momentum for the resumption of long-stalled diplomacy for peace with the recalcitrant regime. Strained over historical issues, diplomatic relations between Seoul and Tokyo have warmed since the administration of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol offered in March last year to compensate victims of Japan's wartime forced labor on its own without contributions from liable Japanese firms. Source: Yonhap News Agency