In this Oct 26, 2020 photo, Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, wearing a face mask, gives his first policy speech during an extraordinary session at the lower house of parliament in Tokyo. (Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP)

TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Friday told a group of visiting South Korean lawmakers that he hopes to mend the relations between Japan and South Korea which have been frayed by historical and trade issues.

The Japanese prime minister said he is counting on exchanges between the lawmakers of the two countries to help "create a good environment" for bilateral ties, reported local media.

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Relations between Japan and South Korea have deteriorated following a South Korean Supreme Court decision in October 2018 ordering Nippon Steel to compensate South Koreans for forced labor during Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule.

Japan has claimed the rulings are not in line with international law and run contrary to the foundation of friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries since the 1965 establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties.