In a bid for a Korea-Japan summit, President Lee Jae-myung and First Lady Kim Hye-kyung are seen bidding farewell to well-wishers from Air Force One at Seoul Airport in Seongnam on the 13th, before their visit to Nara Prefecture, Japan. (Yonhap News)
Ahead of the Korea-Japan summit on the 13th, the Japanese government emphasized, “In the current strategic environment, the importance of Korea-Japan relations and Korea-US-Japan cooperation has grown even more.”
At a routine press conference that morning, Japanese government deputy spokesperson Ozaki Masanao, chief cabinet secretary, responded to questions about the expected outcomes of the summit by stating that “the governments of both countries have agreed to communicate closely, including shuttle diplomacy, to develop Korea-Japan relations in a future-oriented and stable manner.”
Deputy Secretary Ozaki also expressed hope that “this meeting will serve as an important opportunity.”
He added, “I will refrain from prejudging the specific contents of the talks,” and explained, “The key points are to properly discuss the direction for new progress in cooperation between our governments and bilateral relations in the current strategic environment and to solidify the mutual trust between the leaders of both countries.”
On the same morning, President Lee Jae-myung arrived in Japan via Kansai International Airport. He is scheduled to attend a summit meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Nara Prefecture in the afternoon. This marks the fifth meeting between the Korea-Japan leaders since President Lee’s inauguration.