Japan's Emperor Naruhito officially declares the opening of the 217th Ordinary Diet session at the National Diet in Tokyo, Jan. 24. UPI-Yonhap
The Japanese Embassy in Seoul hosted an event Wednesday to celebrate Emperor Naruhito's birthday in the South Korean capital.
The event at a hotel in Seoul was attended by South Korean figures, including First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun, diplomatic sources said.
In his congratulatory speech, Kim emphasized the importance of building on the trust established over the past 60 years since diplomatic relations were normalized between the two countries.
Emperor Naruhito's birthday, which falls on Feb. 23, is a national holiday in Japan. Japanese diplomatic missions traditionally celebrate the occasion with representatives of their host countries in attendance.
At the Seoul event, the national anthems of South Korea and Japan were played while a photo of the imperial couple was displayed for the first time.
While the reception was under way, anti-Japanese activists held a protest rally in front of the hotel. (Yonhap)
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