PM nominee stresses stronger Seoul-Tokyo ties in meeting with Japanese PM adviser
Prime Minister nominee Kim Min-seok on Monday expressed his hope for deepening relations between South Korea and Japan during a meeting with a high-ranking Japanese official.
"This year is particularly meaningful for both countries as it marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. I hope the horizon of South Korea-Japan cooperation expands even further," Kim said.
He made the remarks while meeting in Seoul with Akihisa Nagashima, special adviser to Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, emphasizing that Japan is a key cooperation partner."
The two officials exchanged views on the future direction of bilateral cooperation and ways to strengthen it. They also affirmed their shared understanding of the importance of bolstering trilateral security cooperation among Seoul, Tokyo and Washington.
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Korea Herald
8 hours ago
- Korea Herald
PM nominee stresses stronger Seoul-Tokyo ties in meeting with Japanese PM adviser
Prime Minister nominee Kim Min-seok on Monday expressed his hope for deepening relations between South Korea and Japan during a meeting with a high-ranking Japanese official. "This year is particularly meaningful for both countries as it marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. I hope the horizon of South Korea-Japan cooperation expands even further," Kim said. He made the remarks while meeting in Seoul with Akihisa Nagashima, special adviser to Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, emphasizing that Japan is a key cooperation partner." The two officials exchanged views on the future direction of bilateral cooperation and ways to strengthen it. They also affirmed their shared understanding of the importance of bolstering trilateral security cooperation among Seoul, Tokyo and Washington.
Korea Herald
8 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Lee calls on S. Korea, Japan to join hands for future ahead of 60th anniv. of ties
President Lee Jae-myung on Monday called for South Korea and Japan to join hands for a better future, casting the two neighbors as important partners bound to work together amid a rapidly changing global environment. Lee made the remark in a congratulatory video message at the start of an event hosted by the Japanese Embassy in Seoul to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, which falls on this Sunday. "South Korea and Japan are key partners who must cooperate closely in responding to a rapidly changing global landscape. Let's join hands and move toward a better future," Lee said. The phrase "join hands and move toward a better future" is the official slogan for the 60th anniversary of the normalization of the ties. Korea was under Japan's colonial rule from 1910-45. "Building on the achievements and progress we have made so far, I sincerely hope that Korea and Japan will continue to develop a stable and future-oriented relationship," he said. Lee did not attend Monday's ceremony, as he had departed for Canada to take part in an expanded meeting of the Group of Seven (G7) summit. Attention is being drawn to whether Lee will meet bilaterally with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on the margins of the G7 gathering. "As we look ahead to the upcoming G7 summit and beyond, I hope to build a strong foundation of trust and friendship with the prime minister," Lee added. Lee has signaled a departure from his hard-line stance on the Asian neighbor to maintain the positive momentum in bilateral relations that dramatically improved under the previous conservative government. Lee has pledged to take a "two-track" approach, separating efforts for forward-looking cooperation from historical disputes rooted in the colonial period. Among those attending Monday's ceremony were Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Ji-na and Akihisa Nagashima, special adviser to Ishiba, along with government officials, business leaders, academics, and other key stakeholders from both countries. In a congratulatory remark, Nagashima pointed out that close communication between Seoul and Tokyo is "indispensable" given the current challenging international environment. "It's not a problem of choice ... This cooperation will encompass various fields, including security, economy, energy, technology and culture," he said. Japanese Ambassador to Seoul Koichi Mizushima highlighted the progress in bilateral exchanges for the past six decades, including trade, tourism and culture, saying the Seoul-Tokyo relations are "standing at a new starting point." "The deepening and development of Japan-South Korea relations is undeniable fact," he said in his speech. "We must strive to achieve further leaps in Japan-South Korea relations in the next 60 years and beyond by supporting the next generation who will shape the future of both countries." A variety of performances were held ahead of the ceremony, including those by a student choir from the Seoul Japan School and Korean pianist Lee Kyung-mi. On one side of the stage, an old folding screen was on display, originally used at the treaty ratification ceremony in Seoul on Dec. 18, 1965. The screen is the left panel of a pair, with the right panel held at the South Korean Embassy in Japan. This marks its second public showing, following its display at the 50th anniversary celebration. Inscribed on the screen is an excerpt from a classical poem by 16th-century Korean poet and politician Jeong Cheol, also known by his pen name, Songgang. The latter part of the event was to feature Mizushima conferring awards on individuals and groups in recognition of their contributions to promoting bilateral relations and cultural exchange.
Korea Herald
17 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Lee Jae-myung to head to Canada for G7 in debut trip
Lee's meeting with Trump, Ishiba would 'create momentum' for addressing trade challenges President Lee Jae-myung is poised to travel to Canada on Monday to attend the Group of Seven summit in the Kananaskis region, South Korea's national security adviser Wi Sung-lac told reporters Sunday. Invited to the event as a guest after his inauguration on June 4, Lee, the liberal president, is set to return to Seoul on Wednesday evening. Wi said Lee's bilateral meetings with leaders at the multilateral summit are being coordinated on the margins of the event during his stay on Monday and Tuesday. He said that holding such meetings to build trust with leaders attending the G7 summit comes "in a very timely fashion," but did not elaborate on who Lee's interlocutors would be. Lee's top security aide also said that encounters between Lee and US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at the upcoming summit would "create momentum" for addressing current economic and trade challenges. According to a presidential office staffer who declined to be named, a bilateral meeting in Canada between Lee and Trump, in particular, would "provide an impetus for working-level talks" between Seoul and Washington, but the official did not immediately explain potential arrangements for Lee to meet the leader of South Korea's closest ally. During the expanded G7 session Tuesday, Lee will deliver remarks on achieving resilience in energy-related supply chains through diversification and on Seoul's role in forging a global artificial intelligence ecosystem, according to the presidential office. Lee's address at the forum will "enable South Korea to enhance its international standing as a member country of the 'G7 Plus,'" Wi said. The G7 summit is an economic forum comprising Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. The European Union is also a member. Along with South Korea, this year's event will also feature the leaders of India, Ukraine, Mexico, South Africa and the United Nations. Wi said Lee's attendance at the G7 summit will serve as a declaration to the world that South Korea had moved past six months of political turmoil following former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed attempt to impose martial law in December. "We are telling the world that South Korea has overcome the crisis in its democracy and that democratic (South Korea) is back," Wi said. According to the presidential office, Lee "might have a chance" to sit down for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but Lee's office added that Seoul was not considering providing an additional batch of humanitarian aid or loans to Ukraine. Seoul's commitments during the conservative Yoon administration are estimated to be worth over $2.5 billion, including those made through the Economic Development Cooperation Fund. As for the possibility that the G7 summit could address matters related to the recent Israel-Iran conflict, the presidential office said Lee's stance on the matter would be based on Seoul's previous statement, which "(urged) all parties concerned to exercise maximum restraint and deescalate tensions" in the Middle East.
