Korea-Japan Summit Lasts 88 Minutes... President Lee Highlights "Meaningful Progress on Historical Issues, Emphasizes Korea-China-Japan Communication"

South Korea-Japan Summit, Joint Press Statement
88-Minute Meeting Including Small-Group and Expanded Talks to Discuss Key Agendas
Joint Initiative for DNA Identification of Korean and Japanese Victims from the Josei Coal Mine
Close Coordination on Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and North Korea Policy
Expanding Economic Cooperation in AI and Beyond... Strengthening Joint Response to Scam Crimes

During his visit to Japan, President Lee Jaemyung held a summit meeting with Prime Minister Takaiichi Shinae and announced, "The two countries have agreed to pursue DNA analysis to identify the remains of Korean and Japanese victims who died in the Josei (Choseonin) Coal Mine flooding accident, and the authorities will hold working-level consultations on the specifics." President Lee also emphasized the need for South Korea, China, and Japan to find as much common ground as possible to facilitate communication and cooperation, while reaffirming the commitment to close coordination on North Korea policy.

Yonhap News Agency

President Lee made this announcement during a joint press statement after his summit with Prime Minister Takaiichi Shinae in Nara, Japan, on January 13. He added, "I find it meaningful that, through this summit, we were able to make a small but significant step forward on historical issues." This approach suggests a focus on achieving tangible results on immediately actionable humanitarian issues, rather than attempting to resolve all contentious historical matters at once.

The Josei Coal Mine was an undersea mine where more than 130 Korean laborers were forcibly conscripted during the Pacific War. In 1942, the mine collapsed, resulting in the drowning of 183 Koreans and Japanese, including Japanese nationals. It was only in August of last year, more than 80 years later, that remains were discovered for the first time.

Amid worsening China-Japan relations, President Lee also stressed the need to expand the scope of South Korea-Japan cooperation to include 'South Korea-China-Japan communication.' Regarding issues on the Korean Peninsula, he reaffirmed the commitment to complete denuclearization and the establishment of lasting peace, as well as continued close coordination on North Korea policy.

President Lee explained, "The two countries exchanged broad views on regional and global issues, and agreed on the importance of South Korea-Japan and South Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation for peace and stability in the region amid rapidly changing international circumstances." He further emphasized, "It is necessary for South Korea, China, and Japan to find as much common ground as possible and to communicate and cooperate together in Northeast Asia."

Economic Security and AI Cooperation, Strengthening Joint Response to Scam Crimes... Proposal to Expand People-to-People Exchanges

Yonhap News Agency

The two countries agreed to strengthen cooperation and coordination in the economic sector and in responding to transnational crimes, building on the foundation of established shuttle diplomacy. President Lee stated, "We agreed on the need for comprehensive cooperation to jointly shape economic security, science and technology, and international norms, going beyond trade-centered cooperation," and announced that relevant authorities would begin discussions to this end. In particular, President Lee added, "We will continue working-level consultations to deepen cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI) and intellectual property protection."

In the social sector, President Lee acknowledged the discussions held by the "Korea-Japan Joint Social Issues Council," launched last year, on topics such as low birth rates, aging populations, balanced regional development, agriculture and disaster prevention, and suicide prevention. He proposed, "Let us achieve concrete results in addressing common challenges such as regional growth." Regarding responses to transnational crimes such as scam crimes, he explained, "Japan has agreed to participate in the international cooperation council initiated by our National Police Agency, and we have also agreed to adopt a memorandum of understanding to provide institutional support for this cooperation."

President Lee also proposed expanding people-to-people exchanges. He stated, "In an era of 12 million people-to-people exchanges, enhancing mutual understanding among future generations is the foundation of a future-oriented Korea-Japan relationship." He suggested measures such as simplifying immigration procedures, encouraging school trips, and expanding the current 'mutual recognition of technical qualifications,' which is currently limited to the IT sector, to other fields.

This Korea-Japan summit was President Lee's fifth since taking office, and the second since former Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru resigned and Prime Minister Takaiichi Shinae took office. The summit included a 20-minute small-group meeting and a 68-minute expanded meeting, lasting a total of 88 minutes. After completing the small-group and expanded meetings and the joint press statement, President Lee and Prime Minister Takaiichi plan to continue with a one-on-one conversation and dinner. On the morning of the 14th, the two leaders will jointly tour Horyu-ji, a representative cultural heritage site in Nara Prefecture, after which President Lee will hold a meeting with Korean residents in the Kansai region, including Osaka, before returning to South Korea.