Japanese PM, South Korea’s Lee Vow Stronger Cooperation

(MENAFN) In a pivotal meeting held Saturday in Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung pledged to deepen cooperation between their nations, focusing on trade, regional security, and trilateral coordination with the United States, according to media.

The summit marked a strategic moment as both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to steadily advance bilateral relations anchored in the 1965 normalization treaty. Discussions included pressing regional security dynamics and evolving economic challenges.

Prime Minister Ishiba underscored the importance of maintaining a consistent approach in managing historically sensitive issues. He emphasized policy continuity with Seoul, while both sides committed to enhancing trilateral alignment with Washington.

The leaders also reiterated a shared goal: denuclearization of North Korea.

President Lee, speaking at the outset of talks, called for reinforced collaboration to navigate growing uncertainty in global trade and geopolitical realignment. Yonhap News quoted him as saying, "As the international order in trade and security is fluctuating, I believe the Republic of Korea and Japan, which share similar positions in terms of values, order and ideology, must strengthen their cooperation more than ever."

Lee’s visit to Japan—his first bilateral trip since taking office—marked a break from tradition, with previous South Korean presidents typically prioritizing the United States for their inaugural foreign visit. He is scheduled to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington following his Tokyo stop.

In a joint interview published Saturday by Asahi Shimbun, Mainichi Shimbun, Nikkei, and Sankei Shimbun, Lee described his visit as a chance to "promote intergovernmental cooperation by sector," highlighting economic security and trade as key areas of focus.

Lee framed the trip as a turning point in bilateral ties ahead of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic normalization in 2025. "Korea-Japan relations simultaneously contain aspects of confrontation, cooperation and mutual tolerance. What's important is to identify as many mutually beneficial elements as possible," he said. "There is no need to abandon the beneficial aspects because of certain negative ones."

Addressing the unresolved issue of wartime comfort women, Lee noted, "before it is an economic issue, it is (an) issue of truth and emotion, so acknowledging the facts, apologizing and sincerely empathizing is more important."

The summit, seen as a recalibration of Northeast Asia’s diplomatic landscape, signals a potential thaw in historically strained ties as both countries brace for a volatile global environment.

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