Yoon to Attend Korea-Japan Summit and More in Japan on 16-17th... "An Opportunity to Break the Vicious Cycle" (Update)

Kim Sung-han, National Security Office Chief, Yongsan Presidential Office Briefing
Will Strengthen Bilateral Development Will at Korea-Japan Summit and Dinner
Meeting with Korea-Japan Parliamentary League and Cooperation Committee
Business Roundtable with Economic Leaders from Both Countries
Attended Future Generation Lecture for Korean and Japanese Students at Keio University

President Yoon Suk-yeol announced that his visit to Japan on the 16th and 17th of this month to hold a Korea-Japan summit with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will serve as "an important opportunity to break the vicious cycle and fundamentally reorganize the conditions for exchanges."

Kim Sung-han, Director of the National Security Office, said at a briefing held at the Yongsan Presidential Office in the afternoon, "Bilateral diplomatic visits are taking place for the first time in 12 years, since then-Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's visit to Korea in October 2011 and then-President Lee Myung-bak's visit to Japan in December of the same year. During the long period of stagnation, the vicious cycle of the two countries' leaders not meeting easily and the relationship remaining stagnant continued," he said.

Earlier, Director Kim introduced President Yoon and First Lady Kim Keon-hee's visit to Japan as "an important milestone in improving Korea-Japan relations, which the Yoon Suk-yeol administration has focused on since its inauguration."

On the morning of the 16th, President Yoon will arrive in Tokyo, Japan, and hold a luncheon meeting with local Korean residents. In the afternoon, he will carry out official schedules including the Korea-Japan summit and dinner with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding the agenda of the Korea-Japan summit, Director Kim said, "The two leaders plan to discuss various issues, including the normalization of Korea-Japan relations following the announcement of solutions to the forced labor issue and its implementation." He added, "There will also be opportunities to discuss ways to remove policy barriers that are blocking progress and to deepen economic cooperation between the two countries."

He continued, "Through this summit and dinner, the two leaders will strengthen mutual personal trust and reaffirm their commitment to the development of bilateral relations. Personal trust between leaders is an important asset in diplomacy. Building trust between the two leaders is expected to have a positive impact on friendship and exchanges between the peoples of both countries," he added.

On the following day, the 17th, President Yoon will meet with key political figures belonging to the Korea-Japan Parliamentary League, a legislative exchange group, and the Korea-Japan Cooperation Committee, which handles private sector exchanges.

Director Kim introduced, "Since prominent Japanese political figures, including former Prime Ministers Taro Aso and Yoshihide Suga, will attend this event, it will be a good opportunity for President Yoon to actively urge them to play a role in building a future-oriented Korea-Japan relationship."

Following this, a Korea-Japan Business Roundtable will be held with the attendance of Korean and Japanese businesspeople, combining a luncheon to support exchanges between entrepreneurs.

Afterwards, President Yoon will attend a future generation lecture held at Keio University, a prestigious private university in Japan, with Japanese university students and Korean international students in attendance, and is scheduled to return home late in the afternoon of the 17th.

Regarding these two events, Director Kim said, "The Korea-Japan Business Roundtable is expected to be an opportunity for the economic sectors of both countries to prepare a new future together through cooperation and exchanges." He added, "Meanwhile, the lecture at Keio University for Korean international students and Japanese university students will encourage the future leaders of Korea-Japan relations and broaden consensus for expanding exchanges between the two countries."

Regarding First Lady Kim, Director Kim explained that she is coordinating various schedules with the Japanese side, including a meeting with Mrs. Yoko Kishida.

[Image source=Yonhap News]