Ministry of Foreign Affairs: "Unilateral Media Leak of Korea-Japan Government Consultations... Japan Should Respond Cautiously"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called for a cautious response regarding Japanese media reports that Japan accepted South Korea's request for a Korea-Japan summit if President Moon Jae-in attends the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony, stating that "the contents of consultations between diplomatic authorities are being unilaterally leaked to the media."

An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on the 11th, "Under these circumstances, it is difficult for consultations between the two governments to continue, and we urge the Japanese side to respond carefully."

This followed a report by the Nihon Keizai Shimbun earlier that morning stating that the Japanese government accepted South Korea's request to hold a Korea-Japan summit.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs official protested, saying, "The contents of consultations between the diplomatic authorities of the two countries have recently been unilaterally leaked to the media from the Japanese government's perspective, citing Japanese government officials," and expressed "strong regret."

The official stated, "Recently, the two countries have been closely consulting through diplomatic channels on ways to use the Tokyo Olympics as an opportunity to resolve bilateral issues, and it is true that the possibility of holding a Korea-Japan summit was considered on the premise that momentum for resolving issues is established and appropriate formalities are observed." This expresses the Ministry's regret over the ongoing consultations being leaked through Japanese media.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs official emphasized, "The government has been working to improve bilateral relations under a two-track approach that separates past issues related to Korea-Japan relations from future-oriented cooperation," and added, "Our government has consistently maintained the position that Japan should withdraw the export control measures imposed in July 2019 and that the two countries' diplomatic authorities should engage in dialogue to discuss past issues."

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