
Japan PM Ishiba speaks by phone with new South Korean leader Lee
KYODO NEWS - 10 minutes ago - 12:36 | World, All, Japan
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba spoke by phone with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Monday, a Japanese government source said.
In their first telephone call since Lee assumed office on Wednesday, the two leaders are expected to discuss the importance of bilateral ties.
(More details to follow.)
Related coverage:
Japan PM pledges to boost ties with key partner South Korea under Lee
New South Korean President Lee emphasizes pragmatism after sworn in
FOCUS: South Korea's Lee to seek stable ties with Japan amid uncertainties

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Kyodo News
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The Mainichi
3 hours ago
- The Mainichi
Japan PM mulls 1st in-person summit with S. Korea's Lee on G7 fringes
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan is making arrangements for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to hold his first meeting with new South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on the margins of the Group of Seven leaders' summit in Canada, a government source said Thursday. Ishiba and Lee both expressed hope to meet in person at an early date when they spoke by phone days after Lee assumed the South Korean presidency on June 4, succeeding his predecessor who created political chaos due to his short-lived declaration of martial law. During his stay in Canada for a three-day G7 summit through Tuesday, Ishiba may also meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to the source. Both Lee and Zelenskyy are expected to attend part of the G7 meeting that will discuss Russia's war against Ukraine and other global challenges. South Korea and Ukraine are not members of the G7, which consists of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States plus the European Union. With South Korea, Japan wants to build mutual trust with Lee -- the first liberal president in three years and known for his harsh rhetoric against Japan in the past -- as bilateral cooperation is necessary to cope with threats posed by North Korea's missile and nuclear development. The inauguration of Lee has put the spotlight on his approach to bilateral ties with Japan, long marred by disputes over territory and history linked to Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. After taking office, however, Lee has emphasized consistency in bilateral ties, in a potential sign that the recent thaw seen under his predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol will remain intact. Ishiba and Lee agreed that they should develop bilateral ties in a stable fashion during their phone call on Monday. They also agreed on the importance of three-way cooperation involving the two U.S. allies and the United States in the face of what they call an increasingly severe strategic environment. A diplomatic source was hopeful that an early face-to-face meeting between the two will help develop the bilateral ties, after the phone conversation was positively received by both countries. If he does meet with Zelenskyy, Ishiba is likely to convey Japan's position that it aims to work with the international community toward a goal to bring a "just and lasting peace" to the war-torn nation.