Prime Minister Han to Visit Japan on 27-28 for Abe's State Funeral... Meetings with Political and Business Leaders

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Kim Hyewon] Prime Minister Han Duck-soo departed on the 27th to attend the state funeral of the late former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo (安倍晋三).

Prime Minister Han left for Japan through Seongnam Seoul Airport in the morning. During his two-day visit to attend Abe’s state funeral, Han plans to meet with high-ranking officials from various countries attending the funeral as well as Japanese business leaders. This visit to Japan is Han’s second overseas trip since taking office, following his attendance at the International Bureau of Expositions (BIE) General Assembly held in Paris, France, in June.

The vice head of the government condolence delegation is Jeong Jin-seok, Emergency Committee Chairman of the People Power Party (Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly), and the members include Yoon Deok-min, Ambassador to Japan, and Yoo Heung-soo, President of the Korea-Japan Friendship Association Central Committee (former Ambassador to Japan).

On the morning of the 27th, Han will first hold talks in Tokyo with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris. Vice President Harris plans to visit President Yoon Suk-yeol in Korea on the 29th, but will meet with Prime Minister Han in Japan beforehand. During the meeting, Han plans to express his welcome for Harris’s first visit to Korea and urge close cooperation between Korea and the U.S. in economic and security fields. Issues such as discrimination against Korean electric vehicles under the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) may also be discussed.

Han will then attend Abe’s state funeral from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Budokan. The funeral will include a moment of silence and flower offerings. After the funeral, a welcome reception hosted by Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio (岸田文雄) will be held at the Akasaka State Guest House. Han is expected to have a brief conversation with Prime Minister Kishida and also meet Abe’s widow, Mrs. Akie. In the evening, a dinner is scheduled at the Ambassador’s residence in Japan, inviting representatives of the Korean community.

On the morning of the 28th, the second day of his visit, Han will hold formal talks with Prime Minister Kishida. It is expected that Han will convey the Korean government’s intention to restore and improve Korea-Japan relations. At a press briefing on the 23rd, when asked what he would mainly discuss with Prime Minister Kishida, Han said, “I don’t think it will be about negotiating important issues,” and explained, “Since Japan and Korea are neighboring countries that share important values such as democracy, market economy, and human rights, it would be good to maintain a good relationship in the future as countries important to our security and economy. That is likely the message I will convey.”

Han will also meet with Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuc? and former Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide (菅義偉). During his visit, Han has scheduled multilateral meetings with Japanese political figures and business leaders. The Prime Minister’s Office stated, “Prime Minister Han plans to explain the Korean government’s efforts to improve Korea-Japan relations during meetings with Japanese political figures and former Prime Minister Suga, and request active cooperation from the Japanese political community.” In meetings with business leaders, Han will ask for support in hosting the 2030 Busan World Expo (Busan Expo).

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