President Lee Jaemyung Meets Former Japanese Prime Minister Suga, Hopes for Future-Oriented Korea-Japan Relations

President Lee Jae Myung is meeting with former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, chairman of the Korean Medical Association, at the Yongsan Presidential Office building in Seoul on the 30th. Photo by Yonhap News

President Lee Jaemyung met with former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and said, "I sincerely hope that Korea and Japan will continue to develop a mutually beneficial and future-oriented relationship."

On this day, President Lee met with former Prime Minister Suga at the presidential office in Yongsan and stated, "We are like neighbors who share the same front yard." Former Prime Minister Suga is currently serving as the president of the Japan-Korea Parliamentarians' Union.

President Lee said, "Exchanges between the people of Korea and Japan have been increasing significantly, and the level of respect and favorability between the peoples of both countries has also risen greatly. I consider this very fortunate."

President Lee also emphasized, "The relationship between the Korean and Japanese governments should also improve. For that to happen, exchanges and cooperation among our parliamentarians should be further expanded, which I believe will greatly contribute to the development of Korea-Japan relations."

Former Prime Minister Suga responded, "I will work for the friendly development between Korea and Japan, and I want to ensure that the people of both countries can walk a path of mutual reassurance and safety. I hope to deepen mutual understanding between our countries by cooperating with the Japan-Korea Parliamentarians' Union."

Present at the meeting from the Korean government were Chief of Staff Kang Hunsik, National Security Advisor Wi Seongrak, and Second Deputy National Security Advisor Lim Woongsun. In addition, Joo Ho-young, president of the Korea-Japan Parliamentarians' Union, and Min Hongcheol, secretary-general, attended. From Japan, Akihisa Nagashima, secretary-general of the Japan-Korea Parliamentarians' Union, and Kensuke Oonishi, executive committee chairman, also visited.