South Korea's Lee should not slow efforts to improve Japan ties
Newly inaugurated South Korean President Lee Jae-myung should not blunt progress toward improved relations between his nation and Japan.
Lee, from the left-leaning Democratic Party, assumed office on Wednesday and is now stressing the importance of cooperation between the two countries, pulling back from his previous harsher stance on Japan over historical and other bilateral problems.
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Kyodo News
an hour ago
- Kyodo News
Kyodo News Digest: June 7, 2025
KYODO NEWS - 15 minutes ago - 09:26 | All, Japan, World The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News. ---------- Japan, U.S. yet to find common ground on tariffs WASHINGTON - Japan and the United States have yet to find common ground on tariff issues but still aim to strike a deal of some sort in mid-June, Japan's chief tariff negotiator said Friday. After holding talks with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in Washington, Ryosei Akazawa, Japan's minister in charge of economic revitalization, told reporters that he believes "further progress" was made. ---------- Trump says U.S., China tariff teams to meet in London on Monday WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and two other Cabinet members in charge of tariff issues will meet with their Chinese counterparts in London on Monday. The two other U.S. officials who will discuss trade issues with Chinese representatives are Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. ---------- New S. Korea leader, Trump agree to seek "satisfactory" tariff deal SEOUL - New South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed during their first telephone talks on Friday to work toward a "mutually satisfactory" agreement on U.S. tariffs at an early date, South Korea's presidential office said. "Regarding ongoing tariff consultations between the two countries, the presidents agreed to strive for a mutually satisfactory agreement as soon as possible," the office said after their phone talks, adding that the leaders pledged to encourage tangible progress to be achieved in working-level negotiations. ---------- Suzuki halts production of Swift over China's rare earth export curbs TOKYO - Suzuki Motor Corp. has halted production of its flagship Swift compact hatchback due to China's export restrictions on rare-earth elements, sources close to the matter said Friday, marking the first suspension by a Japanese automaker tied to the curbs. The restrictions have caused delays in procuring parts that use rare earths, the sources said. ---------- Court overturns Fukushima crisis damages order against ex-TEPCO execs TOKYO - A Japanese high court on Friday overturned a ruling ordering former executives of Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. to pay the utility unprecedented damages for failing to prevent the 2011 crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. The Tokyo High Court determined it was difficult for TEPCO's management at the time to foresee the massive tsunami of up to around 15 meters that caused the disaster, revoking the 2022 court decision ordering the former executives to pay around 13 trillion yen ($90 billion) in compensation. ---------- Japan OKs 20 tril. yen plan for disaster resilient infrastructure TOKYO - The Japanese government on Friday approved a plan to enhance the disaster resilience of the country's infrastructure over the next five years, with the project expected to cost more than 20 trillion yen ($139 billion). Focusing on measures to address aging infrastructure, the plan specifies 326 measures to be taken by government bodies from fiscal 2026 through 2030, while regional authorities bear part of the costs. ---------- Japan showcases MSDF frigate in Australia amid bid to win contract DARWIN, Australia - Japan's latest Maritime Self-Defense Force frigate made a port call in Darwin, northern Australia, on Thursday for training, as Japan competes with Germany for a contract to build Australia's new-generation fleet. Showcasing the Mogami-class multi-mission frigate Yahagi to the media on Friday, MSDF officials highlighted its advanced stealth features and ability to operate with a smaller crew than the German vessels. ---------- Japan's shogi board game ass'n has 1st female chief TOKYO - Japan's leading shogi organization on Friday picked the first female chief in its 101-year history as part of efforts to encourage more young people, including women, to participate in the traditional Japanese board game. Ichiyo Shimizu, a pro shogi player herself, succeeded Yoshiharu Habu, a 54-year-old master, as president of the Japan Shogi Association for a two-year term. Video: Plum pickling ceremony at World Exposition in Osaka
Asahi Shimbun
an hour ago
- Asahi Shimbun
South Korea's Lee, Trump agree to work towards swift tariff deal, Lee's office says
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, center, and his wife Kim Hye-kyung, left, arrive for a ceremony to mark the 70th Memorial Day at the Seoul National Cemetery in Seoul on June 6. (Pool via REUTERS) SEOUL/WASHINGTON--U.S. President Donald Trump and South Korea's new president Lee Jae-myung agreed to work toward a swift tariff deal in their first phone call since Lee was elected this week, Lee's office said on Friday. Trump has imposed tariffs on South Korea, a long time ally with which it has a bilateral free trade deal, and pressed it to pay more for the 28,500 U.S. troops stationed there. Separately, Trump allies have aired concerns about Lee's more conciliatory stance towards China, Washington's main geopolitical rival. Lee, a liberal, was elected on June 3 after former conservative leader, Yoon Suk-yeol, was impeached and ousted. The future of South Korea's export-oriented economy may hinge on what kind of deal Lee can strike with Trump, with all of his country's key sectors from chips to autos and shipbuilding heavily exposed to global trade. His term began on Wednesday. "The two presidents agreed to make an effort to reach a satisfactory agreement on tariff consultations as soon as possible that both countries can be satisfied with," Lee's office said in a statement. "To this end, they decided to encourage working-level negotiations to yield tangible results." Trump invited Lee to a summit in the U.S. and they plan to meet soon, according to a White House official. Analysts say the first opportunity for the two to meet could be at a G7 summit in Canada in mid-June. Lee's office said the two leaders also discussed the assassination attempts they both experienced last year as well as their enthusiasm for golf. Lee underwent surgery after he was stabbed in the neck by a man in January last year, while Trump was wounded in the ear by a bullet fired by a would-be assassin in July. South Korea, a major U.S. ally and one of the first countries after Japan to engage with Washington on trade talks, agreed in late April to craft a "July package" scrapping levies before the 90-day pause on Trump's reciprocal tariffs is lifted, but progress was disrupted by the change of governments in Seoul. Lee said on the eve of the elections that "the most pressing matter is trade negotiations with the United States." Lee's camp has said, however, that they intend to seek more time to negotiate on trade with Trump. While reiterating the importance of the U.S.-South Korea alliance, Lee has also expressed more conciliatory plans for ties with China and North Korea, singling out the importance of China as a major trading partner while indicating a reluctance to take a firm stance on security tensions in the Taiwan Strait. Political analysts say that while Trump and Lee may share a desire to try to re-engage with North Korea, Lee's stance on China could cause friction with the U.S. A White House official said this week that South Korea's election was fair, but expressed concern about Chinese interference in what analysts said may have been a cautionary message to Lee. Speaking in Singapore last week, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said many countries were tempted by the idea of seeking economic cooperation with China and defense cooperation with the United States, and warned that such entanglement complicated defense cooperation.
Nikkei Asia
9 hours ago
- Nikkei Asia
South Korea's Lee and Trump discuss tariffs, golf in 1st phone call
SEOUL -- South Korea's newly inaugurated President Lee Jae-myung and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed Washington's tariff policy as well as their golfing skills in their first phone conversation on Friday. Lee and Trump agreed to work toward a mutually satisfactory agreement on tariffs, according to the South Korean government. The two sides affirmed the bilateral alliance and agreed to maintain cooperation on the diplomatic and security fronts.
