Korea-Japan Foreign Ministers Meeting in Seoul on the 13th... Discussing Cooperation Amid Unstable Political Situation

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on the 10th that South Korea and Japan will hold a foreign ministers' meeting in Seoul on the 13th.

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yeol and Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi are scheduled to meet in the afternoon at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building to reaffirm the importance of improving Korea-Japan relations and Korea-US-Japan cooperation, and to discuss cooperation measures. It is expected that they will agree to cooperate for the development of relations in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations this year, regardless of South Korea's political situation.

Additionally, there is likely to be an exchange of views on the Korea-China-Japan summit scheduled to be held in Japan this year. It was also reported that Foreign Minister Iwaya is coordinating a plan to pay a courtesy visit to Acting President and Deputy Prime Minister for Economy and Finance, Minister of Strategy and Finance Choi Sang-mok. Following the Korea-US foreign ministers' meeting held on the 6th, this meeting is expected to serve as an opportunity to demonstrate domestically and internationally that diplomacy is functioning normally even amid the impeachment political situation caused by the emergency martial law in South Korea. Although the foreign ministers of Korea and Japan have spoken twice by phone since the emergency martial law situation in South Korea on the 3rd of last month, this will be their first direct meeting. Foreign Minister Iwaya is reported to return to Japan on the 14th.