Revealed in Joint Press Briefing After Small-Group and Expanded Meetings... First Joint Document in 17 Years
Advancing Korea-Japan Relations to Strengthen Korea-US-Japan Cooperation, Creating a Virtuous Cycle
Korean and Japanese Youth to Have Mo
On August 23, President Lee Jaemyung announced in a joint press statement following the Korea-Japan summit that the two countries have agreed to launch a consultative body to jointly address common challenges. In addition, the two countries agreed to maintain close cooperation in their North Korea policies to achieve the "complete denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula, and to expand people-to-people exchanges by increasing the number of opportunities for young people to participate in working holiday programs. This is the first time in 17 years that South Korea and Japan have issued a joint document on the occasion of a summit.
Immediately after the summit at the Japanese Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on August 23, President Lee delivered a joint press statement, saying, "Since the normalization of diplomatic relations in 1965, this is the first time a South Korean president has chosen Japan as the destination for their first bilateral visit after taking office. I believe this demonstrates just how important the Korea-U.S. and Korea-Japan relationships are."
During the summit, the two leaders engaged in in-depth discussions on the future direction of Korea-Japan relations, major practical cooperation measures, peace on the Korean Peninsula and the North Korea issue, as well as key global issues. First, the two countries discussed ways to cooperate in future industries such as hydrogen and artificial intelligence to create synergy in the economic sector. They also agreed to form a consultative body to address common social challenges faced by both countries, including low birth rates, aging populations, concentration in metropolitan areas, agriculture, disasters, and safety. President Lee explained, "We agreed on the need for joint responses to these common challenges, to share policy experiences, and to seek solutions together."
Furthermore, South Korea and Japan agreed to consult closely to achieve the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. President Lee stated, "We reaffirmed our commitment to the 'complete denuclearization' of the Korean Peninsula and the establishment of lasting peace, and agreed to continue close cooperation in our North Korea policies." This is seen as a step forward from the "freeze-reduction-denuclearization" three-stage approach that President Lee presented in an interview with the Yomiuri Shimbun, as he explicitly mentioned "complete denuclearization."
People-to-people exchanges will also be expanded. President Lee announced, "In the era of 12 million exchanges, we have agreed to increase the number of opportunities for Korean and Japanese youth to experience and understand each other's cultures by expanding participation in working holiday programs."
In addition, both sides recognized that unwavering Korea-Japan and Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation is more important than ever amid rapidly changing international circumstances, and agreed to create a virtuous cycle in which the development of Korea-Japan relations leads to strengthened trilateral cooperation. They also agreed to work closely together for the successful hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit to be held in Gyeongju, South Korea, in October, as well as the Korea-Japan-China summit, for which Japan will serve as chair.
Meanwhile, President Lee concluded a 113-minute summit with Prime Minister Ishiba. President Lee arrived at the Japanese Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo at 4:54 p.m. and held a small-group meeting from 4:55 p.m. to 5:57 p.m., followed by an expanded meeting from 6:00 p.m. to 6:51 p.m. The talks lasted much longer than originally planned. This was the second meeting between President Lee and Prime Minister Ishiba, coming 67 days after their previous encounter at the Group of Seven (G7) summit on June 17.
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