South Korea and Japan will hold high-level economic talks in Tokyo next week, the Foreign Ministry said Friday, as the two countries push to improve their bilateral ties despite historical disputes.

The talks will be held Tuesday and focus on pending economic issues in both countries, as well as ways to expand economic cooperation, the ministry said in a press release.

South Korea will be represented by Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Affairs Lee Tae-ho, while Japan will be represented by Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Affairs Yasumasa Nagamine.

It will be the first high-level meeting between the two sides this year following last month's landmark agreement to resolve the issue of Korean women forced into sexual slavery for Japanese soldiers during World War II.

Japan has demanded South Korea lift its ban on imports of fishery products from eight Japanese prefectures near the site of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident.

South Korea could seek Japan's cooperation in gaining entry into the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement to which Tokyo is a party.

The meeting will be the 14th round since the talks were launched in 1999. (Yonhap)