Japan Hosts Korea-Japan Diplomatic Ties 60th Anniversary Event in Seoul: "Cooperation Between the Two Countries Is Essential"

To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan, the Embassy of Japan in Korea held a celebratory event on the 16th.

At an event commemorating the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan held on the 16th at Lotte Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, participants including Koichi Mizushima, Japanese Ambassador to Korea, and Jina Kim, Second Vice Foreign Minister, are making a toast and taking a commemorative photo. Photo by Yonhap News

The event, held at Lotte Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, was attended by a large number of government officials from both countries, private sector experts, and academics. Notable attendees included Chung Mongjoon, Chairman of the Asan Foundation; Chung Dongyoung, Democratic Party lawmaker; Kim Boo-kyum, former Prime Minister; Joo Ho-young, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly and Chairman of the Korea-Japan Parliamentarians’ Union; Sohn Kyungshik, Chairman of the Korea Employers Federation; Shin Dongbin, Chairman of Lotte Group; and Yoon Deokmin, former Ambassador to Japan. Representing the Korean government was Jina Kim, Second Vice Foreign Minister, while from Japan, Shigeru Ishiba, a close aide to the Japanese Prime Minister, and Akihisa Nagashima, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister, were in attendance.

In his welcoming remarks, Koichi Mizushima, Japanese Ambassador to Korea, stated, "Korea-Japan relations have seen both good times and bad over the past 60 years, but thanks to the efforts of both countries, they have made significant progress, with cooperation and exchanges expanding across a wide range of fields." He added, "Going forward, the two governments will maintain close communication to ensure the stable development of Korea-Japan relations."

Introducing himself in Korean, Special Advisor Nagashima said, "Based on the relationship built over the past 60 years, I believe our two countries can leap toward broader horizons of cooperation." He emphasized, "Given today’s challenging international environment, it is not a choice but a necessity for our two countries to communicate closely and broaden the scope of cooperation."

President Lee Jaemyung, who departed for Canada on this day to attend the Group of Seven (G7) summit, delivered a video message in which he described Korea-Japan relations as an "important partnership." He added, "Building on past achievements and progress, I hope that Korea-Japan relations will continue to develop in a stable and future-oriented manner."

In her remarks, Vice Minister Kim said, "Over the past 60 years, exchanges and cooperation between our two countries have grown explosively in various areas, including the economy, culture, and people-to-people exchanges?growth that was unimaginable at the time of normalization." She added, "This progress in Korea-Japan relations has been made possible by the wisdom, trust, and exchanges accumulated by the peoples of both countries."

The event featured several booths where attendees could experience traditional Japanese culture. There were also exhibitions of popular Japanese animation characters and displays explaining the history of economic exchanges between Korea and Japan.