Shuttle diplomacy resumes: South Korea, Japan seek to deepen cooperation

Seoul [South Korea], May 7 : South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said on Sunday that he agreed with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida that the two countries should join hands to address growing security threats in Asia.

Cooperation between Japan and South Korea is necessary for global peace and prosperity, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said as he met with Kishida, reported Taiwan News.

This is the first such bilateral visit by a Japanese leader in more than 12 years. Japan-South Korea ties reached their lowest point in decades under the left-wing administration of Yoon's predecessor, Moon Jae In, over wartime issues that included a labor compensation row, preventing the two countries from pursuing critical diplomatic negotiations.

The visit, which came on the heels of a March trip to Tokyo by Yoon, was largely focused on maintaining momentum for bettering ties after the relationship plummeted in 2018 to its lowest point in years over wartime history and other issues, reported the japan times.

Unresolved historical disputes should not block South Korea and Japan from deepening ties in the face of international crises, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said.

Kishida stressed Japan's "unwavering" commitment to standing by past government stances on the two neighbors' shared history, including the 1998 joint declaration that expressed "deep remorse and heartfelt apology" for Japan's wartime aggression.

"This position will remain unchanged in the future," Kishida told a joint news conference with Yoon, reported the japan times.

"My heart aches as many people went through very difficult and sad experiences in the harsh environment at that time," he added.

The pledge by the leaders to boost cooperation has been welcomed by the United States as a way to better confront threats from North Korea and competition from China, reported Taiwan News.

Kishida, who is scheduled to host the Group of Seven summit in his constituency of Hiroshima later this month, has been eager to achieve reconciliation with South Korea, as the United States, their close ally, has become warier of the security situation in Asia.

Kishida's visit - the first formal talks in over a decade involving a Japanese leader in Seoul - returns the trip Yoon made to Tokyo in March, where they sought to close a chapter on the historical disputes that have dominated Japan-South Korea relations for decades.

Kishida's remarks could give Yoon space to manoeuvre amid opposition to a closer relationship with Japan without a fresh apology, especially as the two look to bolster security ties in the face of nuclear-armed North Korea, reported the japan times.

"It took 12 years for shuttle diplomacy to resume, but it took less than two months for the two of us to travel back and forth," Yoon said before the meeting. "I believe that this is confirmation that the newly restarted South Korea-Japan relationship is picking up speed and continuing to move forward."