At the G7 Meeting, South Korean and Japanese Foreign Ministers Cross Paths... Formal Talks Unlikely

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] The G7 Foreign and Development Ministers' Meeting is being held from the 10th to the 12th (local time), and it is expected that the South Korean and Japanese foreign ministers will meet at the G7 for the first time since the establishment of the Kishida Cabinet. However, according to Japanese media, a formal meeting is unlikely to take place.

Liz Truss, the UK Foreign Secretary and chair of the G7, presided over the G7 Foreign and Development Ministers' Meeting and stated in a UK Foreign Office statement on the 11th (local time) that they "show a united front against global aggressors."

This meeting is taking place amid escalating tensions between China and Russia and the Western world. Secretary Truss is expected to call for a united front against malicious acts, including Russia's stance on Ukraine. There is also a possibility that discussions about boycotting the Beijing Winter Olympics will take place during this meeting.

The meeting, receptions, and dinners related to the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting are also expected to provide an opportunity for the first encounter between South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa.

However, the likelihood of a formal meeting is low. Kyodo News reported on the 10th that "due to the deterioration of South Korea-Japan relations, a formal meeting is not planned."

With difficulties in resolving historical issues such as the comfort women and forced labor, and provocations by Japan over Dokdo, relations between the two countries are gradually worsening. Although Foreign Minister Hayashi took office on the 10th of last month, he has not even had a phone call with Minister Chung for nearly a month.

On the afternoon of the 11th, Foreign Minister Hayashi will hold his first face-to-face meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and will also have bilateral meetings with Liz Truss, the chair from the UK, among others.

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