The proposal was made at the first working-level talks between the two countries after Japan last week announced tighter controls on exports to South Korea of the materials used to make smartphone displays and chips.

Japan did not say whether it would accept the request for more talks, made at a meeting in Tokyo, Lee Ho-hyeon, a director at South Korea's trade ministry, told a briefing in Seoul.

(Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin and Jane Chung; Editing by Robert Birsel)