Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol have agreed to further advance bilateral relations by promoting shuttle diplomacy and maintaining close communication.
Ishiba and Yoon met for half an hour on Thursday in Laos on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations leaders meeting. It was their first face-to-face meeting since Ishiba became prime minister on October 1.
Ishiba said close cooperation between Japan and South Korea is extremely important for regional peace and stability.
He said he wants to further develop bilateral ties that have improved significantly thanks to efforts by his predecessor Kishida Fumio and President Yoon.
Ishiba said he wants to collaborate closely with Yoon by promoting shuttle diplomacy.
Ishiba went on to say that for the current positive momentum to be sustainable, it is important to promote mutual understanding and people-to-people exchanges.
He said Japan’s government will take the 60th anniversary of diplomatic normalization between the two countries next year as a good opportunity to promote an environment favorable to facilitating those exchanges.
Yoon congratulated Ishiba on taking office as prime minister.
The president pointed out that since he visited Japan in March last year, bilateral relations have developed significantly. He said the change was possible because of unwavering trust between the two countries’ leaders.
Yoon said he wants to continue building and strengthening South Korea-Japan relations through active and close communications with Ishiba, including shuttle diplomacy, as he did with Kishida.
Yoon also noted that next year will mark the 60th anniversary of normalization of diplomatic ties between Seoul and Tokyo.
He said he looks forward to working closely with Ishiba to present a hopeful vision for the future of bilateral ties and to ensure that the people of both nations can feel tangible progress in their relations.
It is believed that Ishiba and Yoon also discussed North Korea’s nuclear and missile development and confirmed that they will further strengthen cooperation with the United States in dealing with the North.