Japanese Media: "Kishida to Hold Talks with Yoon in Korea on the 20th of Next Month"…Presidential Office Says "Nothing Being Pursued" (Comprehensive)

Cooperation Between Both Countries and North Korea Issues Discussed Ahead of General Election
Presidential Office Takes Cautious Stance

President Yoon Suk-yeol, who visited the United States to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, is embracing Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at a Korea-Japan summit held at a hotel in San Francisco on November 16 (local time).
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Presidential Office on the 14th took a cautious stance regarding reports that Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is considering visiting South Korea in late next month for a summit with President Yoon Suk-yeol, stating that "nothing is currently being pursued."

A Presidential Office official told reporters at the Yongsan Presidential Office on the same day that "there are no ongoing plans" regarding the report.

On the day, Fuji News Network (FNN), a Japanese private broadcaster, reported citing government sources that Prime Minister Kishida is pushing for a visit to South Korea on the 20th of next month to hold talks with President Yoon.

According to the report, Prime Minister Kishida plans to meet directly with President Yoon ahead of South Korea's general elections in April to reaffirm bilateral cooperation and discuss current issues such as North Korea.

This visit is being promoted as part of so-called shuttle diplomacy between the two leaders traveling back and forth. Previously, Prime Minister Kishida visited South Korea in May 2023 after the two leaders agreed to resume shuttle diplomacy.

Possibility of Visit Coinciding with MLB Seoul Opening Game on the 20th of Next Month

Japanese baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani attended the press conference for joining the MLB LA Dodgers held on the 14th (local time) at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, USA. Ohtani signed a mega free agent (FA) contract with the Dodgers on the 9th, with a 10-year term worth a total of 700 million dollars.

The 20th of next month, when the summit is currently being discussed, is also the day of the opening game of the Major League Baseball (MLB) World Tour Seoul Series at Gocheok Dome in Seoul, featuring the LA Dodgers with Shohei Ohtani. Accordingly, FNN reported that there is interest in whether the two leaders will watch Ohtani’s opening game together.

In the opening game between the LA Dodgers and the San Diego Padres, "Japanese superstar" Shohei Ohtani is expected to play wearing the Dodgers uniform, which he joined this year.

However, the Presidential Office showed a cautious stance on this matter. When asked whether there was any discussion at all regarding Prime Minister Kishida’s visit and the Korea-Japan summit, a Presidential Office official reiterated, "There are no ongoing plans."

This has raised the possibility that it may be an internal matter under consideration in Japan rather than a serious step toward arranging a Korea-Japan summit.

Previously, the Korea-Japan leaders agreed last year to resume "shuttle diplomacy." President Yoon visited Japan in March last year, followed by Prime Minister Kishida’s visit to South Korea two months later, and they held a total of seven summits last year.

If the first Korea-Japan summit of this year is held next month, it will be about four months since their last meeting on November 16 last year (local time) at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco, USA.

Regarding Prime Minister Kishida’s visit schedule, attention is also focused on the '3rd Democracy Summit' planned by South Korea in late next month. If President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Kishida attend, there is a possibility that a Korea-US-Japan summit could be held concurrently with the Democracy Summit.