South Korean President Yoon, Japanese PM Ishiba stress commitment to stronger cooperation

Lima, Nov 17 (IANS) South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba underscored their shared commitment to bilateral cooperation during their talks on the margins of a multilateral summit in Peru, amid growing concerns over North Korean military threats.

Yoon and Ishiba held their second in-person summit in a month on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in Lima amid rising concerns over North Korea’s troop deployment to Russia in support of Moscow’s protracted war in Ukraine, Yonhap news agency reported.

“As military cooperation between Russia and North Korea has led to the North’s troop deployment, regional and global situations have been rapidly changing since our first meeting,” Yoon said in his opening remarks.

“Today’s meeting is more meaningful at a time when close coordination between South Korea and Japan is now more crucial than ever before,” he added.

Ishiba echoed Yoon’s view, stressing the need for closer collaboration between the two nations.

“Continuing to strengthen cooperation between Japan and South Korea is an important task considering the grave security situation surrounding both countries, including recent (developments) about North Korea,” Ishiba said through a translator.

The leaders agreed to deepen bilateral ties as the two countries prepare to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the normalisation of diplomatic ties next year.

Their meeting came a day after a trilateral summit with US President Joe Biden, during which the leaders condemned military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang and reiterated their commitment to trilateral collaboration.

–IANS

int/rs