石破いしば首相しゅしょう きょう 韓国かんこく大統領だいとうりょうと首脳しゅのう会談かいだん 協力きょうりょく強化きょうかなどを確認かくにん

Prime Minister Ishiba will attend a Japan-South Korea summit meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung on the evening of the 23rd.

They aim to build trust between the leaders, strengthen cooperation in various fields such as the economy and people-to-people exchanges, and confirm coordination regarding the response to North Korea.

Prime Minister Ishiba will attend a Japan-South Korea summit meeting with President Lee at the Prime Ministers Office on the evening of the 23rd.

President Zelenskyys visit to Japan is his first since taking office, and this will be the second in-person meeting between the two leaders, following their talks held in Canada in June during the G7 summit.

The meeting will begin with a small gathering attended by a limited number of participants, followed by an expanded session.

In this meeting, Prime Minister Ishiba intends to once again confirm the importance of building mutual trust between the leaders and to closely communicate by utilizing shuttle diplomacy, which involves reciprocal visits by the leaders.

In addition, taking into account that this year marks the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and South Korea, efforts are being made to strengthen cooperation in various fields such as the economy and people-to-people exchanges. Arrangements are being made to reach an agreement to expand the working holiday visa program so that it can be obtained up to two times.

In the field of security, opinions are expected to be exchanged regarding responses to North Korea, which is advancing military cooperation with Russia. Prime Minister Ishiba also aims to reach an agreement on strengthening cooperation not only between Japan and South Korea, but also among the three countries of Japan, the United States, and South Korea.

Furthermore, issues common to both countries, such as rapid population decline and a decreasing birthrate, are also expected to be discussed.

On the other hand, President Lee is scheduled to visit the United States following his trip to Japan and hold talks with President Trump. At the summit meeting on the 23rd, opinions are also expected to be exchanged regarding the U.S. tariff measures.

And then, both leaders will attend a joint press conference together and explain the outcomes of their talks.

The focus of the summit is that this is the first time since the normalization of diplomatic relations in 1965 that the South Korean president is visiting Japan as the first destination for a bilateral visit. Japanese government officials have welcomed this, saying, It is a sign that President Yoon values Japan.

Taking this into consideration, Prime Minister Ishiba intends to focus on deepening cooperation at this summit meeting, even though there are outstanding issues between the two countries.

Specifically, discussions are expected to take place regarding the expansion of economic activities and people-to-people exchanges, taking into account that this year marks the 60th anniversary since the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Additionally, as the security environment in East Asia becomes increasingly severe, we would also like to confirm the strengthening of cooperation regarding how to respond to North Korea, which is advancing military cooperation with Russia.

Regarding the significance of this meeting, a Japanese government official stated, This meeting will serve to reaffirm the foundation that both countries have built up until now and to stabilize our relationship going forward.

Japan and South Korea are both facing rapid population decline and low birth rates.

As Prime Minister Ishiba considers regional revitalization to be an important policy issue for his administration, he wants to confirm his intention to work together with South Korea to address shared challenges.

Furthermore, another focus is whether the personal relationship of trust between the leaders will deepen.

Following the summit meeting, a dinner party is scheduled to be held at the Prime Ministers official residence with both leaders wives in attendance, and interaction between the wives is also being considered.

On the other hand, the Japanese government regards this visit by President Yoon to Japan as part of the shuttle diplomacy involving reciprocal visits by the two leaders, and attention is also focused on whether there will be any discussions about future visits between the leaders.

Apart from such opportunities as international conferences and events, Japan and South Korea conducted shuttle diplomacy, in which their leaders made reciprocal visits, from July 2004 to December 2011.

However, in 2012, then-President Lee Myung-bak landed on Takeshima, causing relations to deteriorate, and they have been cut off for more than 10 years.

The turning point was three years ago, in May 2022, when President Yoon took office.

President Yoon has expressed his willingness to improve relations with Japan and announced a solution to the issue of forced labor during the Pacific War.

In March two years ago, I visited Japan and confirmed with then-Prime Minister Kishida the resumption of shuttle diplomacy.

Prime Minister Kishida also responded to this and visited South Korea in May two years ago, just before the Hiroshima Summit.

They showcased the closeness between the leaders.

After that, both Japan and South Korea saw changes in their leaders, and in June this year, Prime Minister Ishiba held his first face-to-face summit meeting with President Lee Jae-myung during his visit to Canada.

And they agreed to maintain close communication, including by making use of shuttle diplomacy.

Regarding the President of Israels visit this time, there are welcoming voices within the Japanese government saying, It is a sign of the Presidents desire to build a good relationship.

How frequently the leaders will visit each other in the future is likely to become one measure of the state of Japan-South Korea relations.

In the 2000s, the mood of friendship grew due to the Korean Wave sparked by events such as the co-hosting of the 2002 FIFA World Cup by Japan and South Korea and the popularity of Korean dramas.

Since 2004, shuttle diplomacy, in which the leaders of Japan and South Korea visit each others countries, has begun, and the relationship between the two countries has grown closer in various fields such as politics, economics, sports, and culture.

However, in 2012, then-President Lee Myung-bak landed on Takeshima, and as a result, the relationship between the two countries gradually cooled.

President Park Geun-hye, who took office in 2013, showed a stance of seeking Japans compromise on the comfort women issue, resulting in a situation where no summit meetings were held for three and a half years.

The issue of comfort women made progress at the summit meeting between then Prime Minister Abe and President Park in 2015.

The Japanese and South Korean governments agreed that the issue was finally and irreversibly resolved, confirming that the Japanese government would contribute 1 billion yen to a foundation established by the South Korean government to support former comfort women.

However, the Moon Jae-in administration, which was inaugurated in 2017, criticized this agreement, regarded it as inadequate, and unilaterally announced the dissolution of the foundation.

Furthermore, conflicts deepened over issues related to forced labor during the Pacific War, and under the Moon administration, Japan-South Korea relations deteriorated to the point of being called the worst since the end of the war.

Amidst this situation, President Yoon Suk-yeol, who took office in 2022, has shown a strong willingness to improve Japan-South Korea relations.

In March two years ago, after announcing a solution to the issue surrounding forced labor, he visited Japan and confirmed with then-Prime Minister Kishida the resumption of shuttle diplomacy, which had been suspended for over ten years.

The relationship between Japan and South Korea has greatly improved.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and South Korea.

Under Prime Minister Ishiba and President Lee Jae-myung, the focus will be on whether the trend toward improving relations can be further solidified.