South Korea's National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang, on a visit to Japan, stressed the need for cooperation among the G20 countries to promote free and fair trade.
In his keynote speech Monday at the G20 Speakers' Summit in Japan, Moon pointed out that the global order in trade and investment is hampered by protectionism, adding that to restore this, joint action by the G20 to uphold its principles is needed now more than ever.
Moon did not directly mention South Korea's trade dispute with Japan, but his remarks are seen as a reference to Tokyo's trade restrictions.
The speaker will wrap up his stay in Japan with a lecture on Tuesday at a local university on ways to repair the two countries' relations.