TOKYO, Oct. 1 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak called Saturday for cultural exchange with Japan as a way to forge a forward-looking partnership between the two neighbors.

South Korea and Japan are key trading partners, though their relations have often been strained by historical disputes stemming from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.

 Lee made the comment in a message to a joint South Korean and Japanese cultural festival held in Tokyo. The message was read by South Korea's culture minister at the opening ceremony.

Lee said in the message that the festival could lay a cultural foundation for developing the two countries into "true neighbors."

South Korean pop songs and dramas have gained popularity in Japan, Southeast Asia and other countries in recent years.