Yoon Congratulates Ishiba on Prime Minister Inauguration
Ishiba "Hopes for Close Communication"
President Yoon Suk-yeol held his first phone call on the 2nd with Japan's new Prime Minister Ishiba Shigero, and they agreed that South Korea, Japan, and the United States should unite in response to North Korea's continued provocations.
The presidential office announced that President Yoon congratulated Prime Minister Ishiba on his inauguration during a 15-minute call starting at 3:15 p.m. that day.
During the call, President Yoon said, "As South Korea and Japan are important neighbors and partners who share values and interests, let us continue to communicate closely and enhance cooperation between our two leaders."
Prime Minister Ishiba expressed gratitude for the congratulatory letter sent by President Yoon the previous day and said, "I am pleased to be able to speak with President Yoon shortly after my inauguration."
He also highly praised President Yoon's leadership in striving to develop bilateral relations and expressed hope to communicate closely and cooperate going forward.
The two leaders agreed that next year, marking the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations, would be a good opportunity for South Korea-Japan relations to take a step forward, and they pledged to work together to continue discovering tangible achievements that their peoples can feel.
In particular, the two leaders agreed on the need for South Korea, Japan, and the United States to unite in response to North Korea's ongoing provocations.
They also agreed to continue cooperating on North Korean human rights issues, including the cases of Japanese abductees, South Korean abductees, detainees, and prisoners of war.
The presidential office stated, "The two leaders agreed to continue shuttle diplomacy and to meet as soon as possible to candidly exchange views on bilateral relations and mutual interests."
Prime Minister Ishiba succeeded former Prime Minister Kishida Fumio as Japan's 102nd prime minister. He is classified as a moderate within the Liberal Democratic Party, having not visited the Yasukuni Shrine where Class A war criminals from the Pacific War are enshrined, and has stated that Japan must face its wartime responsibility.
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