Lee vows to step forward into future with Japan while squarely facing past history

Published: 23 Aug. 2025, 10:36

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during an interview with Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun at his office on Aug. 19. [NEWS1]

 
President Lee Jae Myung has said he aims to expand cooperation with Japan under the principle of stepping forward into the future with Tokyo while squarely facing up to the history of the past.
 
Lee made the remarks in a joint written interview with four Japanese newspapers — the Asahi Shimbun, the Mainichi Shimbun, Nikkei and the Sankei Shimbun — released on Saturday when he departed for Tokyo for summit talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
 
In the interview, Lee expressed hope to strengthen cooperation with Japan in the fields of security and economy, calling his visit to Tokyo an opportunity to solidify the foundation for “future-oriented” ties as this year marks the 60th anniversary of the normalization of the countries’ diplomatic relations.
 
 
“Korea-Japan relations simultaneously contain aspects of confrontation, cooperation and mutual tolerance. What’s important is to identify as many mutually beneficial elements as possible,” he said in the interview. “There is no need to abandon the beneficial aspects because of certain negative ones.”
 
Lee said he plans to hold candid discussions with Ishiba on a wide range of issues, including regional peace and stability, security and economic cooperation during his planned talks later in the day.
 
On historical disputes, Lee said his government will retain past agreements on the issues of wartime forced labor and former sex slaves for Japanese troops during World War II, euphemistically called “comfort women.”
 
He stressed the importance of acknowledging painful history, offering apologies and sincere consolation, and approaching the issues with humanitarian considerations and a fundamental awareness of the problems.
 
On Tokyo’s request to lift import restrictions on seafood from eight Japanese prefectures, Lee said he remains cautious, saying, “The priority is to restore our people’s trust in Japanese seafood.”
 
 
Yonhap