The leaders of South Korea, Japan and China called Sunday for cooperation in the region long mired in historical and territorial disputes as they met for the first time in more than three years.

The meeting represents the resumption of a trilateral summit, which had been suspended since 2012 due to a territorial dispute between China and Japan, as well as Japan's attempts to whitewash its wartime atrocities and colonial occupation.

President Park Geun-hye said the three countries are deepening their economic interdependence, though their friction in political and security issues prevented them from unlocking their full potential for cooperation.

"I hope that the three countries will march down the path of coexistence and cooperation," Park said at the start of the meeting.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also called for the three leaders to build momentum toward trilateral cooperation.

South Korea, China and Japan are key trade partners, but tensions still persist between South Korea and Japan and between China and Japan over territorial and history-related issues.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said the meeting itself is a first step toward trilateral cooperation. Yet he made it clear that trilateral cooperation should be based on the resolution of sensitive issues, including ones dealing with history.

The three leaders met for about 90 minutes and plan to hold a joint news conference. (Yonhap)