Presidential Office "Discussing Korea-Japan Cooperation Plans"
12th Meeting Between Leaders Since Resumption of Shuttle Diplomacy
President Yoon Suk-yeol, attending the 75th anniversary summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), is taking a commemorative photo with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at a Japan-Korea summit held at a hotel in Washington DC, USA, on the 10th (local time). [Image source=Yonhap News]
President Yoon Suk-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will meet on the 6th. This will be their 12th meeting, and with Prime Minister Kishida set to retire at the end of this month, he is expected to emphasize the improvement of Korea-Japan relations and express his intention to continue cooperation.
The Blue House announced that Prime Minister Kishida is scheduled to visit Korea from the 6th to the 7th, and the two leaders plan to discuss ways to enhance cooperation between the two countries during their summit.
A Blue House official stated, "During Prime Minister Kishida's visit, there will be a schedule similar to past occasions, including a summit meeting," adding, "The talks will focus on bilateral relations and ways to strengthen cooperation between the two countries on regional and international stages." The detailed agenda is currently being coordinated through diplomatic channels.
The two leaders resumed Korea-Japan shuttle diplomacy in March last year after a 12-year hiatus. In August last year, President Yoon, U.S. President Joe Biden, and Prime Minister Kishida held a summit at Camp David in the United States, agreeing to strengthen security and economic cooperation among the three countries.
Prime Minister Kishida, who was elected as the new leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party on September 29, 2021, announced that he will not run in the party leadership election scheduled for the 27th. Japan’s parliamentary system means that the leader of the majority party becomes the prime minister. With this structure, Kishida’s decision to forgo the next prime ministership makes this visit effectively his final farewell meeting with President Yoon.
President Yoon Suk-yeol, attending the 75th anniversary summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), is speaking at the South Korea-Japan summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held on the 10th (local time) at the Willard InterContinental Hotel in Washington DC, USA. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Prime Minister Kishida has expressed a desire to visit Korea before his retirement. It is known that he hopes to meet President Yoon before stepping down to review the progress he has made in improving Korea-Japan relations.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul appeared on KBS’s Sunday Diagnosis Live and said, "(Prime Minister Kishida) expressed his intention to come, and President (Yoon) said he would welcome him anytime."
According to Kyodo News, on the 30th of last month, Prime Minister Kishida met with members of the Korea-Japan Forum at his official residence and stated, "I hope that Korea-Japan cooperation will remain strong and that the people of both countries will continuously feel the improvement in relations."
The Blue House explained regarding this visit, "Prime Minister Kishida actively wished to visit Korea to hold shuttle diplomacy summits before his retirement, to conclude his term on a high note, and to discuss the future development direction between the two countries."
It added, "Through 11 Korea-Japan summits, the two sides will review the achievements of Korea-Japan cooperation made together with Prime Minister Kishida and discuss future directions for bilateral, regional, and global cooperation. Based on his experience as prime minister, Kishida is expected to continue providing constructive advice on his successor’s foreign policy and the future development of Korea-Japan relations."
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