S. Korea says no concession on key issues with Japan

SEOUL (AFP) - South Korea on Tuesday described Japan as a "precious partner" but warned it would give no ground to presumptive premier Shinzo Abe on thorny diplomatic issues that have dogged ties for decades.

"The government's position is consistent and clear. There are issues, including issue related to history, on which we cannot concede," Foreign Ministry spokesman Cho Tai Young told journalists.

The remark was a clear reference to territorial disputes and other issues of contention arising from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule over South Korea.

The two countries are currently locked in a territorial row over a set of South Korean-controlled islands that lie midway between the two countries in the Sea of Japan.