World

Aug 15, 2025 19:23 (JST)

Seoul, Aug. 15 (Jiji Press)–South Korean President Lee Jae-myung said Friday that his country will seek to create a mutually beneficial relationship with Japan, in an address at a ceremony in Seoul to mark the 80th anniversary of the Korean Peninsula’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule.

Lee said he will pursue a path for a future-oriented and symbiotic relationship between the two East Asian neighbors through the so-called shuttle diplomacy of reciprocal visits by their leaders to each other’s country.

It was the first time for Lee, a progressive who took office in June, to address the country’s annual National Liberation Day ceremony.

While showing the stance of promoting cooperation with Japan, as did the administration of former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, Lee separated himself from his predecessor by urging Tokyo to take a proactive approach to issues regarding the recognition of history.

Noting that this year marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic normalization between Japan and South Korea, Lee said that now is the time to face up to the past and show wisdom for the future.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]

Jiji Press

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