Top diplomats of South Korea, Japan agree to continue exchanges amid improved ties
Tokyo, March 22 (IANS) South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul met one-on-one with Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya on Saturday and agreed to continue exchanges to keep steady the positive momentum in bilateral relations.
The two top diplomats reached the agreement during their talks in Tokyo following their trilateral meeting involving Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Yonhap news agency reported.
Cho’s talks with Iwaya came just about a month after their previous talks in Germany, and two months after Iwaya’s visit to Seoul.
“The ministers agreed on the need to continue this flow of exchanges and steadily advance bilateral relations without disruption,” Seoul’s foreign ministry said in a release after the talks.
“They emphasised the importance of candid communication between their diplomatic authorities to ensure the stable management of bilateral issues,” the ministry said.
Bilateral relations between Seoul and Tokyo have warmed significantly since President Yoon Suk Yeol announced in March 2023 that South Korea will compensate forced labor victims on its own without contributions from Japan.
But fresh tensions flared up late last year as South Korea boycotted a memorial event for Korean victims of Japan’s wartime forced labor from the UNESCO-listed Sado mines in Japan, in protest of what it cited as Tokyo’s lack of effort to properly honor the victims.
The foreign ministry made no mention of any discussions regarding the Sado mines in the media release.
The two ministers reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea, the ministry said.
“In light of the grave international situation, they recognised the need for both countries to work together across various fields to navigate uncertainties and explore avenues for collaboration,” it said.
“Based on this shared understanding, they agreed to further strengthen trilateral cooperation among South Korea, Japan and the United States on a global scale.”
At start of the talks, Cho expressed hope to deepen exchanges and cooperation with Japan, noting the importance of continued active engagement at the diplomatic level.
Iwaya reiterated the importance of Japan’s bilateral relations with South Korea and their trilateral partnership with their mutual ally, the US, amid changing regional and international landscapes.
The two ministers also likely discussed preparations for the 60th anniversary of the normalisation of the two countries’ diplomatic ties, set for June this year.
They could also discuss coordination efforts in dealing with Trump’s policies in trade, security and other areas.
The last talks between Cho and Iwaya took place in Munich last month on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.
–IANS
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