After Push and Pull, the Korea-Japan Summit Met... "The First Button for Normalizing Relations Has Been Fastened"

30-Minute Informal Summit in New York
Sharing Concerns on Nuclear Force Legalization and 7th Nuclear Test

South Korea Prefers 'Summit' While Japan Uses 'Meeting' Term
Top Ruling Party Officials Including Han Deok-su and Jeong Jin-seok to Visit Japan on 27th

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] President Yoon Suk-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida finally managed to meet after many twists and turns, opening the door for dialogue between the two leaders. The two leaders confirmed their firm intention to normalize relations and respond decisively to North Korea's nuclear threat. However, since they only exchanged opinions on sensitive issues such as compensation for forced labor, it is evaluated that continuous efforts to improve relations are just beginning.

This meeting took place as President Yoon traveled to the New York Convention Center where Prime Minister Kishida was located. On the afternoon of the 21st (local time), Prime Minister Kishida attended the ‘Friends of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT)’ event held at a convention center near the United Nations (UN) headquarters, where President Yoon met him for about 30 minutes in an informal meeting. A presidential office official emphasized, "Prime Minister Kishida was participating in an event held in that building," and added, "It cannot be said that President Yoon visited the place where Prime Minister Kishida was."

The Korea-Japan summit was so uncertain until the last moment that its holding was in question. The presidential office’s briefing last week, which stated "it was agreed willingly," was quite different from the actual situation. Japanese media reported that Japan expressed displeasure over South Korea’s unilateral announcement, and the presidential office consistently responded with "no comment." There was no prior notice to the Korean press corps, and President Yoon’s appearance was captured on video by Japanese reporters.

At this meeting, the two leaders shared serious concerns about North Korea’s nuclear program, including recent nuclear armament legislation and the possibility of a seventh nuclear test. They also agreed on the necessity to resolve current issues and improve bilateral relations, instructing their diplomatic authorities to accelerate dialogue and continue consultations.

The presidential office attached significance to the fact that the Korea-Japan summit was held. A presidential office official said, "We took the first step to achieve visible results," adding, "Although there are many conflicts between Korea and Japan, it is very meaningful that the two leaders met and took the first step toward resolution."

However, efforts to improve relations are expected to be difficult. Even the nature of this meeting showed differences between the two countries. Our side described the meeting between the two leaders as an informal ‘summit,’ but Japan defined it as a ‘talk’ considering domestic public opinion. The Japanese Yomiuri Shimbun explained, "The Japanese government judged that holding a summit while the issue of compensation for forced labor victims remains unresolved was premature, so it did not classify it as an official summit," adding, "However, it appreciates South Korea’s attitude toward improving relations and responded to the dialogue as an unofficial talk."

Issues related to past history, such as compensation for forced labor, are also not easy to resolve in the short term. The foreign ministers of Korea and Japan previously held talks in New York and exchanged opinions, but the two leaders failed to make further progress. In particular, Prime Minister Kishida’s recent sharp drop in domestic approval ratings raises concerns that he may take a passive stance on resolving the forced labor issue.

Our side plans to continuously open the door for further meetings. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and Jeong Jin-seok, a Japan expert and emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party, will visit Japan on the 27th to attend the state funeral of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. At the emergency committee meeting that day, Chairman Jeong said, "We are coordinating a meeting with Prime Minister Kishida and also have a meeting scheduled with the U.S. Vice President," adding, "This is part of efforts to improve Korea-Japan relations."

Professor Nam Sung-wook of Korea University’s Department of Unification and Diplomacy said about this Korea-Japan summit, "In any case, the first button for normalization between Korea and Japan has been fastened," and predicted, "Since fierce negotiations are expected regarding the details, the progress will not be fast."

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