Korea-Japan Diplomatic Director-Level Talks... First In-Person Meeting Since August Inauguration

Focus on Discussions of Current Issues Including the Comfort Women Problem

The first director-general level talks between South Korea and Japan's foreign ministries were held since the appointment of the Director-General of the Asia-Oceania Affairs Bureau of Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responsible for Korean affairs, in August.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 5th, Seo Min-jung, Director-General of the Asia-Pacific Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, held director-general level talks in Seoul with her counterpart, Namazu Hiroyuki, Director-General of the Asia-Oceania Affairs Bureau of Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Director-General of the Asia-Oceania Affairs Bureau is responsible for Korean affairs within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and also serves as the chief representative for North Korean nuclear issues. Director-General Namazu was appointed in August.

On October 17 (local time), at the US Ambassador's residence in Jakarta, Indonesia, during the trilateral meeting on North Korea's nuclear issue among South Korea, the United States, and Japan, Kim Geon, Director General for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (from the left), Sung Kim, US Special Representative for North Korea, and Namazu Hiroyuki, Director of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau at the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, posed for a commemorative photo. 2023.10.17. Photo by laecorp@yna.co.kr

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that this director-general level consultation is part of ongoing communication at various levels between the two countries' foreign ministries.

The two directors-general reviewed the overall status of exchanges between South Korea and Japan and exchanged views on matters of mutual interest.

It is believed that past issues such as the Japanese military comfort women issue and lawsuits related to the 'third-party payment' deposit concerning forced labor compensation rulings were also mentioned during the talks.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that the two directors-general agreed to continue communication between the diplomatic authorities to develop South Korea-Japan cooperation in various fields in a future-oriented manner.