Photo/Illutration Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks to reporters following the election of Lee Jae-myung as South Korean president on June 4. (Takeshi Iwashita)

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and newly elected South Korean President Lee Jae-myung agreed on the need for improved ties between their respective nations as they talked on the telephone on June 9.

According to a Japanese government statement, the two leaders shared “hopes for an early opportunity for a face-to-face meeting.”

It was the first time that Lee, who assumed the presidency on June 4, and Ishiba have held talks.

During the conversation that lasted for about 25 minutes from noon, Ishiba and Lee agreed on the importance of Japan-South Korea relations and cooperation between Japan, the United States and South Korea.

They also confirmed that Japan-South Korea relations should be developed in a stable manner.

Ishiba told Lee that he “would like to work closely (with Seoul) in dealing with North Korea, including the abduction issue of Japanese nationals by North Korea,” according to the Japanese government.

According to an announcement by the Office of the President of South Korea, the two leaders agreed to create a more solid and mature relationship between the two countries based on mutual respect and trust.

Lee also stressed that Japan-Korea relations are becoming more important in today’s strategic environment, and expressed hope that the two countries will respond to challenges together from the perspective of mutual national interests and seek a direction in which they can coexist in harmony.

It was the second time that Lee has held phone talks with a foreign leader, following U.S. President Donald Trump on the evening of June 6.

Ishiba and Lee are scheduled to attend the Group of Seven summit in Canada on June 15-17, and may hold their first face-to-face meeting as early as this occasion.

(This article was written by Kei Kobayashi, and correspondent Akihiko Kaise.)

Related News