Japan, South Korea leaders vow to boost ties in 1st in-person meeting

Japan Today

5 hours ago

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (L) and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung shake hands as they meet for talks in Kananaskis, Canada, on Tuesday.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung agreed Tuesday in their first face-to-face summit to build on the recent thaw in relations and promote dialogue at the highest level.
Ishiba and Lee, meeting on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in Canada, exchanged views on regional affairs and vowed to coordinate closely in response to challenges such as North Korea's missile and nuclear development, as well as Pyongyang's past abductions of Japanese nationals, the Japanese government said.
As was the case in their telephone call earlier in the month, the leaders underscored the importance of tripartite cooperation that includes the United States, their common ally, at a time when the security environment has become increasingly severe and complex.
"I hope that collaboration and cooperation between Japan and South Korea will become a big driving force for the benefit of our region and the world," Ishiba told Lee at the outset of the roughly 30-minute talks.
Lee, meanwhile, said while "small differences and occasional disagreements" exist, the neighbors should build "more robust and mature" relations that can benefit both countries.
"I believe that Korea and Japan, being geographically close and economically complementary, can gain much by working together," Lee said.
Bilateral ties have long been fraught with difficulties stemming from Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. It was under Lee's predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol that relations began to improve. Yoon was impeached for his abrupt imposition of martial law in December.
Lee, a liberal who became president in early June, was known for taking a firm stance on wartime and territorial disputes with Japan and being especially supportive of compensation for wartime Korean laborers.
But he has toned down his rhetoric as president, underscoring the need for consistency in bilateral ties.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties, and both nations hope to promote more exchanges between businesses and people.
Ishiba and Lee reaffirmed their commitment to "shuttle diplomacy," in which the leaders will visit each other's country, South Korea's presidential office said.
The predecessors of Ishiba and Lee cleared the way for the recent warming of bilateral ties. Former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Yoon resumed reciprocal visits at the summit level in 2023.
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