PRES. YOON VISITS JAPAN FOR SUMMIT

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President Yoon arrived in Japan Thursday to meet with Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida. A state visit to Japan by a South Korean leader comes in 4 years. The two leaders are expected to discuss strengthening economic and national security cooperation, along with follow-up measures for the issues of wartime forced labor compensation.

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President Yoon Suk Yeol arrived in Tokyo on Thursday morning for a two-day visit. He is the first South Korean president to visit Japan in four years since 2019. This also marks a South Korean president's first bilateral trip to Japan in 12 years. Yoon is scheduled to hold a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Thursday afternoon. Some analysts believe topping the agenda could be pending economic and security issues, such as Tokyo's export restrictions against South Korea and the General Security of Military Information Agreement, a military intel sharing pact. The two leaders will likely discuss the resumption of suspended bilateral meetings on security policies and diplomacy strategies. Yoon and Kishida may comment on North Korea's long-range missile launch conducted on Thursday morning. The two leaders are also expected to discuss Seoul's forced labor compensation plan and Tokyo's corresponding responses.

[Soundbite] Kim Sung-han(Nat’l Security advisor (March 14)) : "The two leaders will discuss normalization measures for overall bilateral relations, including the implementation of the solution to the issue of the forced labor ruling."

Japan's major news outlets featured Yoon's interview on Wednesday and Thursday. In the interview, the president said he will implement measures concrete enough to demonstrate that a new era of cooperation has begun. He asked the Japanese government to live up to its promise to build future-oriented relations with South Korea. Following the summit, the two leaders will hold a joint press conference and brief about the results of their talks. A key focal point will be Japan's corresponding responses to the South Korean proposal.