New Japanese Monarch Naruhito (left) on May 1 delivers a speech next to his wife Masako in his accession ceremony at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. (Yonhap News)
By<font color="#0070c0"> Xu Aiying </font>and <font color="#0070c0">Kim Minji </font>
President Moon Jae-in has sent a congratulatory message to new Japanese Monarch Naruhito on his accession to the throne.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul said on May 1, "President Moon congratulated Emperor Naruhito's accession via message and expressed his expectation for continuing firm steps towards peace, while remembering the pain of war like the former Emperor Akihito did."
The president also expressed his hope that the new emperor will pay more attention to the amicable relationship between Korea and Japan.
At midnight on May 1 in Japan, Akihito abdicated the throne and his heir, Crown Prince Naruhito, became the nation's 126th emperor. This also marked the end of the Heisei era (January 1989 to April 2019) and the beginning of the Reiwa era.
xuaiy@korea.kr