Cheong, on whether there will be a call between Korean and Japanese leaders: "It's a bit early, please wait and see"

President Moon Sends Congratulatory Letter to Prime Minister Suga
Commitment to Resolving Korea-Japan Issues Through Dialogue and Cooperation

President Moon Jae-in is having a phone conversation with Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, President of Turkmenistan, on the afternoon of August 28 at the small conference room in the Yeomin-gwan building of the Blue House.

When asked whether a phone call had taken place between the South Korean and Japanese leaders following the inauguration of Japan's new Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, a senior Blue House official said on the 17th, "It seems a bit early since it is the first day of the Suga Cabinet," and added, "Please wait and see."

As the conflict between South Korea and Japan triggered by Japan's export restrictions has been at a stalemate for over a year, a direct voice call between the leaders is expected to serve as a momentum for a change in the atmosphere.

Earlier on the 16th, President Moon Jae-in sent a congratulatory letter to Prime Minister Suga on his inauguration, expressing his willingness to resolve South Korea-Japan relations through dialogue. In the letter, President Moon emphasized, "I am ready to sit down and talk anytime."

Blue House spokesperson Kang Min-seok said on the same day, "This afternoon, President Moon sent a congratulatory letter to newly appointed Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to congratulate him on his inauguration and conveyed the intention to work together to further develop South Korea-Japan relations during Prime Minister Suga's tenure." He added, "Not only do we share fundamental values and strategic interests, but we are also ready to sit down and communicate with the Japanese government, which is our closest friend geographically and culturally, anytime, and we expect active responses from the Japanese side."

Spokesperson Kang also stated, "Our government intends to actively cooperate with Prime Minister Suga and the new Cabinet to wisely overcome historical issues and strengthen practical cooperation in all fields, including economy, culture, and human exchanges, in a future-oriented and mutually beneficial manner."

It has not been confirmed whether a reply from Prime Minister Suga's side has been delivered to the Blue House in this regard.

However, Prime Minister Suga has so far shown a cautious attitude toward President Moon's message of 'South Korea-Japan cooperation,' signaling a continuation of the stalemate in South Korea-Japan relations.

In his first press conference after his inauguration held at the Prime Minister's Official Residence in the afternoon, Prime Minister Suga mentioned only North Korea, the United States, China, and Russia among the countries surrounding the Korean Peninsula, without making any remarks about South Korea.

He said, "Our goal is to conclude postwar diplomacy, and we will especially focus on resolving the abduction issue (of Japanese citizens by North Korea)." He continued, "We will develop policies based on the Japan-U.S. alliance," and added, "We want to build stable relations with several close neighbors, including China and Russia." There was no explanation regarding diplomatic policy toward South Korea.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.