ISTANBUL
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung met in Tokyo on Saturday and vowed to expand bilateral ties.
The two leaders discussed bilateral ties including trade and security situation in the region and agreed to develop ties steadily building on foundation from 1965, Kyodo News reported.
Ishiba, in his opening remarks, stressed for policy consistency over difficult issues with South Korea while the two sides agreed to step up efforts for deeper trilateral ties with Washington.
The two leaders also pledged to cooperate over denuclearization of North Korea.
According to South Korean media, President Lee urged Ishiba to strengthen bilateral cooperation to navigate major shifts in global trade and security.
“As the international order in trade and security is fluctuating, I believe the Republic of Korea and Japan, which share similar positions in terms of values, order and ideology, must strengthen their cooperation more than ever,” Yonhap news quoted Lee as saying during his opening remarks.
Earlier on Saturday, Lee arrived on his first visit to Japan before traveling to Washington to meet US President Donald Trump.
He broke tradition by making Japan his first bilateral destination since taking office, diverging from the usual practice of South Korean presidents who prioritize Washington for their inaugural overseas visit.
In an interview with four Japanese newspapers, the Asahi Shimbun, the Mainichi Shimbun, Nikkei and the Sankei Shimbun, released Saturday, Lee said he wants to “promote intergovernmental cooperation by sector,” including economic security and trade.
He called his visit to Tokyo an opportunity to solidify the foundation for “future-oriented” ties as 2025 marks the 60th anniversary of the normalization of 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. “There is no need to abandon the beneficial aspects because of certain negative ones.”
Lee. about the issue of unresolved comfort women, said that “before it is an economic issue, it is (an) issue of truth and emotion, so acknowledging the facts, apologizing and sincerely empathizing is more important.”
“Comfort women” refers to Korean women who were abducted and forced to work as sex slaves for Japan before and during World War II.
Lee apologizes over ‘fabricated espionage cases’
Lee also made an official apology to ethnic Koreans in Japan who were wrongfully framed as spies during the Park Chung Hee administration.
Speaking at a luncheon with 200 community members, Lee bowed his head, offering condolences to victims of fabricated espionage cases, including some who faced death sentences in 1975, Korea JoongAng Daily reported.
Marking the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation and 60 years of diplomatic ties with Japan, Lee pledged remembrance and reconciliation.
“During this time, Korea has overcome many hardships while achieving remarkable progress, and Koreans in Japan have walked a history of blood, sweat, and tears, along with our compatriots in our homeland,” Lee said.
*Islamuddin Sajid contributed to this report
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