Tokyo: South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Wednesday, where the Japanese leader reaffirmed his intent to maintain and further develop good relations with Seoul.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Ishiba made these remarks during his 15-minute meeting with Cho at the prime minister’s residence earlier in the day, as stated by Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi during a press briefing. “While maintaining and building on the favorable momentum in South Korea-Japan relations, I also intend to advance cooperation among South Korea, the U.S. and Japan,” Ishiba was quoted as saying.
Hayashi indicated that the two countries have been communicating closely since the Lee Jae Myung administration took office, describing South Korea and Japan as “important neighbors and partners” on many international issues. This meeting marks Cho’s first overseas trip since taking office last week. Following his visit to Japan, Cho is scheduled to fly directly to Washington for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday.
Cho had previously held discussions with Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, highlighting South Korea’s efforts to bolster ties with “friendly nations” under the Lee government, signaling an intent to maintain the thaw in bilateral relations with Japan. In a subsequent meeting with South Korean correspondents in Tokyo, Cho emphasized the need to develop bilateral ties in a future-oriented manner.
Cho expressed confidence that the first step in South Korea-Japan relations has been successfully taken amid rapidly shifting international circumstances. “Both sides shared an understanding of the necessity of South Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation, although further details need to be fleshed out,” the minister noted.
In Washington, Cho plans to discuss trilateral cooperation and propose detailed Seoul-Washington collaboration on technology, including artificial intelligence, as part of efforts to reach a tariff deal. “I will work toward reaching a deal smoothly,” he said.
A senior foreign ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity, mentioned that there have been no “missteps or snags” in the ongoing tariff negotiations between Seoul and Washington, adding a final deal could be reached before the August 1 deadline, when reciprocal U.S. duties are set to take effect. The official also noted that a summit between Lee and Ishiba could take place at any time, although the exact timing is uncertain due to political conditions in Japan.