Yoon: "We Must Move Beyond the Perception of 'No Cooperation' if Past Issues Are Not Resolved" (Update)

Kishida: "Korea and Japan Share Willingness to Cooperate" in Expanded Korea-Japan Summit Opening Remarks
Joint Press Conference to Follow Expanded Talks
Security, Economy, Historical Issues, and Japan's Contaminated Water Expected to Be Discussed

President Yoon Suk-yeol stated on the 7th, "I believe we must move away from the perception that the two countries cannot take a single step forward in future cooperation unless the past issues are completely resolved."

At 4:36 p.m. that day, during the expanded Korea-Japan summit meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio held at the Yongsan Presidential Office building in Seoul, President Yoon said, "In a situation where liberal democracy, which has been the foundation of peace and prosperity in the international community, is under threat, Korea and Japan, sharing universal values, must cooperate with stronger solidarity in the international community."

President Yoon first expressed condolences and comfort regarding the human and property damages caused by the Ishikawa earthquake on the 5th, saying, "On behalf of the people, I offer my condolences and comfort," and "I pray for the swift recovery and restoration of daily life in the affected areas."

Regarding President Yoon's visit to Japan in March and Prime Minister Kishida's visit to Korea this time, he said, "It took 12 years to restore shuttle diplomacy, but it took less than two months for the two of us to visit each other," adding, "I think this confirms that the newly started Korea-Japan relationship is gaining momentum and moving forward."

He continued, "It is often difficult to create a good change flow at first, but once created, it often becomes a trend," and added, "I think the current flow of Korea-Japan relations is exactly such a case."

He also emphasized, "Less than two months after holding a summit with Prime Minister Kishida in Tokyo, a clear and full-fledged improvement in Korea-Japan relations is emerging. I feel a responsibility to create better times beyond the good times in the past," and "In the current severe international situation and global complex crisis, cooperation and coordination between Korea and Japan are essential not only for the mutual interests of the two countries but also for world peace and prosperity."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Prime Minister Kishida also expressed his gratitude, saying, "President Yoon welcomed me warmly in Tokyo in the spring, and I am pleased to be able to visit Seoul so early and fully activate shuttle diplomacy," and "I thank President Yoon and the Korean people for their warm hospitality."

He added, "At the Seoul meeting, we agreed to strengthen and rebuild Korea-Japan relations and to enhance dialogue and cooperation," and evaluated, "It has been less than two months, but various dialogues are dynamically progressing."

Furthermore, he mentioned, "We intend to exchange views on the advancement of bilateral relations. We also plan to discuss the G7 Hiroshima Summit, the latest situation in North Korea and the Indo-Pacific region, and the linkage of global issues."

Earlier, Prime Minister Kishida and his wife, Kishida Yuko, visited the Seoul National Cemetery immediately upon arriving at Seoul Airport in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, around noon. While entering the cemetery, they stopped and bowed in salute to the Korean flag and the Japanese flag hanging beside it during the "Salute to the Flag" call.

Later, around 3:30 p.m., Prime Minister Kishida and his wife arrived at the Yongsan Presidential Office building. The two leaders met 52 days after the Korea-Japan summit held in Tokyo in March, marking the full-scale resumption of Korea-Japan shuttle diplomacy after 12 years.

President Yoon and First Lady Kim Geon-hee came out to the entrance of the Yongsan Presidential Office building to welcome Prime Minister Kishida's arrival. The two leaders and their spouses then moved together to the outdoor lawn plaza in front of the building, where they received an honor guard review. The national anthems of Japan and Korea were played in sequence, followed by President Yoon and Prime Minister Kishida walking around the lawn plaza and shaking hands with their respective aides.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Immediately after the official welcoming ceremony, the two leaders entered the Yongsan Presidential Office building and held a small-scale meeting from 3:50 p.m. to 4:29 p.m. The Korea-Japan summit consists of a small-scale meeting with a few aides and an expanded meeting to discuss various issues. After the summit, a joint press conference is held where the two leaders directly explain the results.

On the economic front, cooperation on economic security, including semiconductor supply chains, is expected to be discussed. Recently, Japan re-designated South Korea as Group A (formerly the White Country/Whitelist), which is subject to preferential export treatment. Since most factors such as export regulations and trade conflicts between Japan and South Korea have been resolved, detailed discussions on cooperation areas are expected to intensify.

Fields such as new industries including quantum, space, and bio, in addition to advanced industries like semiconductors and batteries, joint entry into the global order market, and future responses to issues like low birthrate, aging population, and climate change, which can create mutual benefits, are also expected to be discussed. Additional discussions may include increasing flights, expanding exchanges of future generations such as high school and international students to restore human exchanges between the two countries, and restoring and expanding dialogue channels at both private and government levels.

In addition to security and economic cooperation, sensitive issues between the two countries are also expected to be addressed at this summit. Attention is focused on whether Japan will reaffirm its position regarding forced labor and other damages during the Japanese colonial period. Furthermore, the Korean government insists that Korea and Japan should conduct a "joint safety verification of Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant contaminated water discharge plan" independently of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), so discussions on this matter are also expected.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

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