Japan-Korea Diplomatic Talks in New York... "Improving Relations with Sincerity," Silent on Summit Meeting

Foreign Minister Park Jin (right) and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi greet each other at the Korea-Japan Foreign Ministers' Meeting held on the afternoon of the 19th (local time) at a hotel in Manhattan, New York.
[Photo by Joint Press Corps]

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] Ahead of President Yoon Seok-yeol's attendance at the United Nations General Assembly, the foreign ministers of South Korea and Japan met in New York, USA, to discuss current issues. In particular, in-depth opinions were exchanged regarding solutions for compensation related to forced labor. However, whether a South Korea-Japan summit will take place during the UN General Assembly was not confirmed.

Foreign Minister Park Jin and Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa held a meeting for about 50 minutes on the afternoon of the 19th (local time) at a hotel in Manhattan. This meeting attracted more attention as it was held while a summit between President Yoon and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio was being coordinated during the UN General Assembly. After the meeting, Minister Park evaluated, "We had many good discussions." However, he did not respond to questions regarding the summit. He said, "Both sides agreed to make sincere efforts to improve South Korea-Japan relations," before leaving.

An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who attended the meeting also drew a line by saying, "There is nothing to confirm at this time." He explained, "This foreign ministers' meeting was held on the occasion of the UN General Assembly as a way to communicate whenever various opportunities arise." He also did not answer whether the summit was mentioned during the meeting.

Previously, while the South Korean government announced that it had agreed to hold a South Korea-Japan summit, reports from the Japanese side have been pouring in that the possibility of holding the summit has become uncertain. When asked whether the atmosphere surrounding the summit had recently changed, the official said, "I am not in a position to evaluate the atmosphere," but added, "The necessity of exchanges between leaders, so-called shuttle diplomacy, is very important." This statement can be interpreted as attributing significance to the foreign ministers' meeting itself. He reiterated, "It is difficult to confirm the schedule for exchanges between leaders," but added, "We fully share the recognition of the importance of South Korea-Japan exchanges."

Instead, during this meeting, in-depth exchanges of opinions were held regarding the solution to compensation for forced labor, which is considered the biggest issue in South Korea-Japan relations. Minister Park explained to Foreign Minister Hayashi the plan to raise private funds reviewed by the government through domestic experts and a public-private consultative body. In addition, along with the solutions the government has considered, the voices of forced labor victims were also conveyed to the Japanese side. It is also known that the meeting time was extended beyond the original schedule due to the process of conveying and listening to the victims' voices.

An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "Minister Park introduced cases where he personally listened to the victims' voices and conveyed specific opinions from various sectors domestically to Japan, urging sincere responses," and added, "The Japanese side also listened with a sufficiently serious attitude and engaged in in-depth exchanges of opinions." To resolve the compensation issue, participation by Japanese companies and sincere measures such as apologies from the Japanese side are necessary. However, the Japanese side has maintained the position that the forced labor issue was already resolved by the 1965 South Korea-Japan Claims Agreement. Specifically, the issue of property seizure was reportedly not mentioned separately during this meeting.

In addition, discussions were held on cooperation regarding the North Korean nuclear issue and South Korea-US-Japan security cooperation. Both countries agreed on the importance of trilateral cooperation and mutual solidarity. Regarding visa-free entry and travel between South Korea and Japan, they agreed that while being mindful of the COVID-19 situation, active human exchanges should take place. At this meeting, Japan requested the South Korean government's attention to the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea, and Minister Park reportedly expressed support.

On this day, Foreign Minister Hayashi expressed a welcoming stance toward President Yoon's will to improve bilateral relations, as stated in his Liberation Day speech and 100-day inauguration press conference. A diplomatic official introduced, "The two ministers confirmed their shared understanding of the need for the prompt restoration and improvement of South Korea-Japan relations," and added, "Japan also agrees on the necessity of improving South Korea-Japan relations and expressed a desire to cooperate between government authorities."

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