TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will visit South Korea early next month and hold a meeting with President Yoon Suk Yeol, around May 7-8, Kyodo reported, citing multiple unnamed Japanese and South Korean diplomatic sources.

The aim of the meeting will be to confirm the strengthening of cooperation over North Korea, ahead of the Group of 7 summit in Hiroshima later in the month, the news agency said.

A source with knowledge of the plans confirmed the meeting was expected ahead of the G7 summit.

Ties between Japan and South Korea, long strained by issues including war time compensation and trade, have been improving in recent months in the face of North Korea's frequent missile launches and China's more muscular role on the global stage.

(Reporting by Kevin Buckland in Tokyo and Trevor Hunnicutt in Washington; Editing by Lincoln Feast)