South Korea-Japan Summit, Joint Press Statement
88 Minutes of Discussions in Small-Group and Expanded Meetings
Joint Effort for DNA Identification of Josei Coal Mine Victims
Close Coordination on Korean Peninsula Denuclearization and North
During his visit to Japan, President Lee Jaemyung held a summit meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and announced that both countries have agreed to pursue DNA testing to identify the remains of Korean and Japanese victims who died in the Josei Coal Mine flooding accident. He added that the authorities of both countries will hold working-level consultations to discuss 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.
President Lee made this announcement during a joint press statement after his summit with Prime Minister Takaichi in Nara, Japan, on January 13. He added, "I find it meaningful that, through this summit, we were able to achieve small but significant progress on historical issues." This approach is seen as focusing on building tangible results on humanitarian issues that can be addressed immediately, rather than seeking an all-encompassing settlement of the broader, contentious historical disputes.
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 deaths 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 emphasized the need to expand Korea-Japan cooperation into broader "South Korea-China-Japan communication." Regarding issues on the Korean Peninsula, he reaffirmed the commitment to complete denuclearization and the establishment of lasting peace, and stated that close coordination on North Korea policy would continue.
President Lee explained, "The two countries exchanged broad views on regional and global issues and agreed on the importance of Korea-Japan and Korea-US-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, communicate, and cooperate together in Northeast Asia."
Economic Security and AI Cooperation to Be Strengthened... Proposal to Expand People-to-People Exchanges
The two countries agreed to further strengthen cooperation and coordination in the economic sector and in responding to transnational crimes, building on the foundation of the shuttle diplomacy established to date. President Lee stated, "We agreed on the need for comprehensive cooperation that goes beyond trade-focused collaboration to include economic security, science and technology, and the establishment of international norms," and announced that relevant authorities would begin discussions to this end. In particular, he added, "We will also 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 achievements of the "Korea-Japan Joint Social Issues Council," which was launched last year and has discussed topics such as low birth rates, population aging, balanced regional development, agriculture and disaster prevention, and suicide prevention. He stated, "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 launched under the leadership of the Korean 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 said, "In this 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 proposed simplifying immigration procedures, promoting school excursions, and "expanding the current mutual recognition of technical qualifications, which is currently limited to the IT sector, to other fields."
This summit between South Korea and Japan was the fifth since President Lee took office, and the second since former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba resigned and Prime Minister Takaichi took office. The summit lasted a total of 88 minutes, including a 20-minute small-group meeting and a 68-minute expanded meeting. After completing the small-group and expanded meetings and the joint press statement, President Lee and Prime Minister Takaichi planned to continue with a one-on-one conversation and a dinner. On the morning of January 14, the two leaders will jointly visit Horyu-ji, a representative cultural heritage site in Nara Prefecture, after which President Lee will meet with Korean residents in the Kansai region, including Osaka, before returning to South Korea.
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