South Korea-Japan Leaders Hold 119-Minute Meeting Including Additional Talks... Cooperation on Historical Issues, CPTPP, and North Korea Policy Pursued

Wi Sung-rak, Chief of the National Security Office, Briefs on Summit
"Shuttle Diplomacy between Korea and Japan Now Fully Established"
Surprise 'Drum Duet' Anecdote Shared... "A Bold Welcome"
Shuttle Diplomacy between the Ancient Capitals o

The leaders of South Korea and Japan held a summit in Nara, Japan, where they discussed trade issues such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), as well as the situation on the Korean Peninsula and ways to cooperate on North Korea policy. The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the establishment of lasting peace, and agreed to continue close cooperation on North Korea policy. Regarding the sensitive issue of the ban on imports of Fukushima seafood, the discussion concluded with the Korean side listening to the Japanese side's explanation regarding seafood food safety.

Yonhap News Agency

National Security Advisor Wi Sunglak held a press briefing at the Osaka Press Center in Japan to explain the results of the summit between President Lee Jaemyung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. President Lee held a small-scale one-on-one meeting and an expanded meeting with Prime Minister Takaichi for about 100 minutes starting at 2 p.m. on January 13, followed by additional informal talks and dinner, during which the two shared candid and in-depth discussions. On the morning of January 14, President Lee and Prime Minister Takaichi visited Horyuji Temple, a symbol of the more than 1,500 years of historical exchanges between the ancient Korean Peninsula and Japan, and spent time building friendship.

Advisor Wi emphasized that this summit was arranged "in less than three months" after Prime Minister Takaichi's visit to South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit last October. He noted, "Including the G20 meeting in December, this is the third meeting," and assessed, "The shuttle diplomacy between the leaders of South Korea and Japan, which resumed with the August visit to Japan, has now been fully established."

Advisor Wi further stated, "Since the previous two meetings allowed the leaders to develop a consensus on the direction of South Korea-Japan relations, this time, the focus was on candidly discussing concrete measures to deepen and broaden cooperation." He added that the schedule began with a "special gesture" as Prime Minister Takaichi, who arrived in Nara first, personally welcomed President Lee in front of the JW Marriott Hotel, where both leaders were staying.

During the one-on-one meeting, the two leaders assessed that South Korea-Japan relations, marking the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties, are developing in a future-oriented manner and discussed rapidly changing international affairs. In the expanded meeting, they broadly addressed ways to expand practical cooperation in areas directly related to the South Korean economy and people's livelihoods, such as the economy, society, culture, and people-to-people exchanges. Advisor Wi reported that there were also discussions aimed at finding common ground on sensitive issues. Regarding the additional 22-minute informal conversation that began at 5:30 p.m., Advisor Wi explained, "It was at the request of the Japanese side to deepen the bond between the leaders," and noted, "A separate informal talk following the one-on-one and expanded meetings is itself highly unusual."

Advisor Wi also shared an anecdote about the two leaders performing a drum ensemble together during the additional informal meeting. He said, "At the start, the Japanese side provided attire suitable for drumming, and both leaders changed into it, with the President's name written on the outfit." He added, "The songs performed were 'Golden' by K-Pop Demon Hunters and 'Dynamite' by BTS, which can be seen as an extraordinary and special welcome from the Japanese side." The dinner that followed lasted 105 minutes from 7 p.m. Advisor Wi explained, "The leaders and their official entourages attended, and the event took place in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere," adding, "The Japanese side prepared a variety of dishes made with ingredients from Nara."

Advisor Wi also assessed that the visit to Horyuji Temple that morning was met with the highest level of hospitality. He explained, "The temple, known as Beopryungsa in Korea, is the first UNESCO World Heritage site in Japan," and added, "They opened the storage area, which is usually closed to the public, to show the original wall paintings of the main hall, which are strictly preserved and managed due to fire damage. This represents the highest level of hospitality the Japanese side could offer for the President's first visit to Nara."

Shuttle Diplomacy Between the Ancient Capitals of Gyeongju and Nara Achieves 'Learning from the Past to Create the New'... Laying the Groundwork for Expanding Substantive South Korea-Japan Cooperation

Yonhap News Agency

Advisor Wi cited 'learning from the past to create the new' (On-go-ji-shin) as an achievement of this summit, noting that holding a series of summits in the ancient capitals of Gyeongju and Nara at two-month intervals embodied this spirit. He added that holding summits in local cities such as Busan, Gyeongju, and Nara is significant in terms of "strengthening cooperation to jointly address the shared challenges of balanced national development and regional revitalization."

In the area of practical cooperation, he stated that the two sides agreed to hold consultations among relevant authorities to "establish an institutional framework for more comprehensive cooperation beyond trade-focused collaboration" in fields such as economic security, science and technology, and standards. He also explained that both sides agreed to deepen cooperation on artificial intelligence (AI) and intellectual property (IP), address common social issues such as low birth rates, aging populations, and regional growth imbalances, and promote exchanges among future generations.

Regarding transnational crime, Advisor Wi said, "The two countries agreed to strengthen joint responses to crimes that threaten the lives and property of our citizens, such as scam crimes." He added, "Japan will participate in the international cooperation body launched under the leadership of the Korean National Police Agency, and the two countries will also prepare a document to systematize bilateral cooperation."

Takaichi First Raised the 'Josei Coal Mine' Issue... On the Issue of Seafood Import Restrictions, the Korean Side Merely Listened to the Japanese Explanation

Yonhap News Agency

On historical issues, Advisor Wi highlighted the strengthening of humanitarian cooperation. Regarding DNA analysis to identify the remains discovered in August last year at the site of the 1942 Josei Coal Mine flooding accident in Ube, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, he said, "The relevant authorities have agreed to cooperate." He added, "Prime Minister Takaichi was the first to raise this issue during the one-on-one meeting," and noted, "This is the first step toward fulfilling the long-held wishes of the bereaved families and could serve as a starting point for jointly addressing historical issues based on universal values of human rights and humanitarianism."

Advisor Wi cited the personal friendship and trust built between the two leaders as the greatest achievement, stating, "At the end of the meeting, both agreed that even in the face of future difficulties, they would resolve them based on friendship and trust." He added, "Contrary to initial doubts or concerns at the start, a strong friendship has been established, and this trust has shown that new areas of cooperation can be developed and historical issues can also be addressed."

When asked whether the DNA analysis of the Josei Coal Mine remains would be conducted by a government agency or outsourced to the private sector, Advisor Wi replied, "Consultations between government officials of both countries have been ongoing, and the results of this summit show progress." He added, "We need to determine which party will conduct the verification, but the important point is that intergovernmental consultations and agreements have advanced." Regarding the issue of elevating 'Dokdo Day,' he answered, "There was no discussion of Dokdo Day or related matters at this summit."

On the issues of the CPTPP and seafood import restrictions, Advisor Wi explained that the Japanese side provided an explanation regarding food safety, which the Korean side listened to, and said, "The CPTPP was mentioned, and the intention to proceed was reaffirmed. This is a matter that requires cooperation between working-level departments." Regarding supply chain cooperation and China's rare earth export controls, he said, "The leaders expressed their willingness to cooperate on supply chains, and working-level discussions are progressing. It will take time to finalize these matters."

Regarding the worsening China-Japan relationship, it appears that no detailed discussions on specific issues took place. Advisor Wi said, "Strengthening South Korea-Japan cooperation, South Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation, and South Korea-Japan-China trilateral cooperation were all discussed," and explained, "The discussions were not directed at any particular country, but rather were intended to emphasize the need for everyone to work together to enhance security management in Northeast Asia."

Meanwhile, regarding the location of the next shuttle diplomacy meeting, Advisor Wi stated that only Prime Minister Takaichi's willingness to make a return visit had been confirmed. He said, "There was no discussion about the specific location," but added, "There was a light mention, and Andong was named as a possibility. It has not been decided whether the next meeting will be held in a local city or elsewhere, and this will be discussed going forward."