South Korea and Japan leaders will meet on Sunday for their second summit in less than two months, as they work to resolve long-standing historical grievances and strengthen ties in the face of North Korea’s nuclear programme and other regional threats.
Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida landed in South Korea on Sunday for a two-day visit, reciprocating South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s travel to Tokyo in mid-March. It was the first exchange of visits between Asian neighbours’ presidents in 12 years.
Kishida and his wife, Yuko Kishida, visited the national cemetery in Seoul before their meeting with Yoon, where they lit incense and offered a silent respect before a memorial. The majority of those buried or honoured in the cemetery were killed during the Korean War, but there were also Korean freedom fighters during Japan’s colonial control from 1910 to 1945. Kishida was the first Japanese leader in 12 years to visit the site.
“I hope to have an open and honest exchange of views with President Yoon based on our trusting relationship,” Kishida told reporters before leaving for Seoul. “There have been various levels of communication in areas such as finance and defence since March, and I intend to continue this ongoing trend.”
Yoon and Kishida will address North Korea’s nuclear programme, South Korean-Japanese economic security and overall relations, and other undisclosed international concerns, according to South Korean and Japanese officials.
Yoon and Kishida agreed to resume leadership-level visits and other talks at their March summit. In recent weeks, the two countries have also reversed economic punitive measures they had imposed against each other in previous years when their history dispute flared up again.
Ties between Seoul and Tokyo have long been on and off due to concerns dating from Japan’s colonial occupation.
