By Soo-hyang Choi and Josh Smith
SEOUL (Reuters) -South&nbsp;Korean President&nbsp;Yoon&nbsp;Suk Yeol said on Wednesday that&nbsp;cooperation&nbsp;with&nbsp;Japan&nbsp;is&nbsp;vital&nbsp;in confronting&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea's&nbsp;growing threats and protecting global&nbsp;supply&nbsp;chains, calling on both countries to not snarl relations in domestic politics.
Yoon&nbsp;made the remarks in a written interview with international media, including Reuters, as he prepares to depart for Tokyo on Thursday for a meeting with&nbsp;Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, the first such visit in 12 years.
The planned trip comes after&nbsp;South&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;announced last week its companies would compensate victims of forced labour under&nbsp;Japan's colonial rule from 1910-1945, seeking to end a dispute that has undermined U.S.-led efforts to present a unified front against China and&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea.
"There is an increasing need for&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;and&nbsp;Japan&nbsp;to cooperate in this time of a polycrisis, with&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korean nuclear and missile threats escalating and global&nbsp;supply&nbsp;chains&nbsp;being disrupted,"&nbsp;Yoon&nbsp;said. "We cannot afford to waste time while leaving strained&nbsp;Korea-Japan&nbsp;relations unattended."
Some of the victims who were forced to work under&nbsp;Japanese colonial rule have rejected the government's compensation plan, potentially complicating Seoul's efforts to end the diplomatic spat.
But&nbsp;Yoon&nbsp;said it was time for the people of the two countries to move forward "rather than confront over the past", adding that&nbsp;Japan&nbsp;has expressed "deep remorse and heartfelt apology in regard to its past colonial rule through the position of its previous governments".
"What matters is to ensure that such positions and behaviour continue unwaveringly,"&nbsp;Yoon&nbsp;said, urging both countries to "guard against bilateral relations being exploited for domestic politics".
With economic&nbsp;cooperation&nbsp;expected to be high on the agenda during his trip,&nbsp;Yoon&nbsp;said stronger ties between the two countries would help global&nbsp;supply&nbsp;chains, and build more "stable" economic relations with China.
Yoon's visit also comes as&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;has been raising tensions in the region weapons test, including the latest launch of two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea off its east coast on Tuesday.
North&nbsp;Korea's&nbsp;state news agency KCNA said the launches were part of a military drill to train its troops carry out their mission at any time and "annihilate the enemy" if necessary.
South&nbsp;Korea, the United States and&nbsp;Japan&nbsp;must further strengthen security&nbsp;cooperation&nbsp;to deter&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea,&nbsp;Yoon&nbsp;said, adding that he expected GSOMIA, an intelligence-sharing pact with&nbsp;Japan, to be "invigorated" as the two countries restore trust.
South&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;has been conditionally maintaining the pact, which is intended to help the two countries share information on&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea's&nbsp;missile and nuclear activities.
Yoon&nbsp;denounced&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;for focusing on its "reckless" weapons programmes when the country's food shortages have "grown worse" and said&nbsp;South&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;"will never acknowledge&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;as a nuclear state under any circumstances." &nbsp;
(Reporting by Soo-hyang Choi, Josh Smith and Ju-min Park. Editing by Gerry Doyle)

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South Korea's Yoon says cooperation with Japan vital amid concerns on North Korea, supply chains