South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol: South Korea and Japan Must Strengthen Future-Oriented Cooperation More Than Ever Before; Takahashi: Confirming the Importance of Strengthening Japan-South Korea-US Cooperation
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said on Thursday during a meeting with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio that the two countries should deepen future-oriented cooperation more than ever before. This was the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders since Kishida took office nine days ago. The meeting was held at the Gyeongju Hwabuk Convention Center at 6:02 p.m. local time on Thursday and lasted over 40 minutes.
According to Yonhap News, Yoon Suk-yeol first stated, "In the context of rapidly changing international situations and trade environments, South Korea and Japan, as neighboring countries with many commonalities, must strengthen future-oriented cooperation more than ever before."
Yoon Suk-yeol said, "We do have many commonalities," and pointed out, "If we share experiences and cooperate, we can not only properly address domestic issues but also help deal with international affairs."
Yoon Suk-yeol said, "I heard that Prime Minister Kishida mentioned in her press conference last week, 'South Korea is a very important neighbor of Japan, and I hope to develop the relationship between South Korea and Japan in a future-oriented and stable manner.' I completely agree. Moreover, it's surprising that this is exactly what I usually say, word for word." His words caused laughter among those present.
Yoon Suk-yeol continued, "I heard that this is the first female prime minister in Japanese history, and we attach particular importance to it. I sincerely congratulate you." He added, "I hope today's event will be a good opportunity to reiterate the deep friendship between South Korea and Japan and continue this relationship into the future."
Prime Minister Kishida responded, "I believe that developing bilateral relations in a future-oriented and stable manner on the foundation established so far in Japan-South Korea relations will be beneficial for both countries."
Kishida mentioned, "This year is a significant year, the 60th anniversary of the normalization of Japan-South Korea relations," "Japan and South Korea are important neighbors for each other," and emphasized "the growing importance of Japan-South Korea-US trilateral cooperation in the current strategic environment."
Kishida specifically stated, "I hope we can make full use of shuttle diplomacy and maintain good communication with the president." She also added, "Foreign Minister Muto is here today, but I hope we can advance this work through good communication at all levels."
The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs introduced that the two leaders exchanged opinions in a sincere manner on the overall situation of Japan-South Korea relations, and both agreed that although the two countries as neighbors have different positions on many issues, they will handle these issues under the leadership of both sides, and strive to develop Japan-South Korea relations in a stable and future-oriented manner on the basis established since the normalization of Japan-South Korea relations.
In addition, Kishida emphasized that close cooperation between Japan-South Korea and Japan-South Korea-US is crucial for the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the immediate resolution of the issue of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea.
After the meeting, Kishida told reporters, "This was my first meeting with President Yoon, and I was warmly received by the president. We had a very pleasant exchange of views. The originally planned 20-minute meeting eventually lasted 45 minutes, and we discussed many topics. Regarding the content of the meeting, given the current strategic environment, I and the president agreed that strengthening Japan-South Korea cooperation and then strengthening the trilateral Japan-South Korea-US cooperation is essential. I think this is very significant."
Kishida continued, "Moreover, the president and I agreed that because we are neighbors, there are differences on many issues, but we will manage these differences through our respective leaderships and continue to develop Japan-South Korea relations in a future-oriented and stable manner on the solid foundation established since the normalization of Japan-South Korea relations. We have also decided to actively carry out 'shuttle diplomacy,' and I believe the next visit will be to Japan. This will help us enhance communication between the governments of Japan and South Korea. I think this was a very pleasant and significant meeting."
When asked by a reporter whether she discussed how to respond to China with Yoon, Kishida replied, "Regarding third-country issues, I cannot reveal too much of the meeting details. However, the meeting did discuss some aspects of the surrounding environment."
Source: rfi
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1847429048982540/
Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.