President Moon Meets Suga for the First Time at G7... Only a 'Brief Greeting' Exchanged

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] President Moon Jae-in, who visited the United Kingdom to attend the Group of Seven (G7) summit, had his first face-to-face meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide. However, it appears that a 'full aside' style informal meeting did not take place at this occasion.

Park Kyung-mi, spokesperson for the Blue House, stated in a written briefing on the 12th (local time), "Before the first session of the expanded G7 summit was held, President Moon met Prime Minister Suga at the Cavis Bay Hotel and exchanged warm greetings."

This was the first time President Moon met Prime Minister Suga, who took office in September last year.

However, it is not known whether any specific discussions took place beyond the brief greetings.

Accordingly, attention is focused on whether an informal meeting will take place before the conclusion of the G7 summit. Earlier, the Blue House explained, "We are always open to dialogue with the Japanese side," adding, "Since there are not many leaders attending the G7 meeting and few staff members accompanying them, even if a formal meeting is not scheduled in advance, it is possible to see leaders standing and talking, and they can also freely converse while sitting on sofas."

The possibility that President Moon and Prime Minister Suga might briefly meet between sessions to discuss bilateral topics cannot be ruled out. Previously, at the ASEAN+3 summit in November 2019, President Moon had an unscheduled 11-minute conversation with former Prime Minister Abe while sitting on a sofa.

However, given the deep emotional rift between the two countries over issues such as forced labor, comfort women, and Dokdo, some analysts suggest that a brief conversation alone is unlikely to resolve these problems.

Japanese media also reported on the meeting between President Moon and Prime Minister Suga. NHK reported that Okada Naoki, Chief Cabinet Secretary accompanying Prime Minister Suga, said, "I understand that President Moon and Prime Minister Suga exchanged brief greetings." Kyodo News also cited the Japanese government, reporting that President Moon spoke to Prime Minister Suga.