Japan and South Korea agreed on Monday to make joint efforts to resume talks on a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA), Kyodo News reported.

Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Mitoji Yabunaka and South Korean Deputy Trade Minister Kim Joong Keun agreed on a meeting in Tokyo to give attention to the importance of a Japan-South Korean FTA since business circles from the two countries expect such a pact, a Japanese Foreign Ministry official said.

No specific agenda to resume the negotiations was produced from the meeting.

Japan and South Korea suspended their FTA talks in late 2004, mainly because Japan refused to open its market for agricultural products.