Korea, Japan resume diplomacy

[Anchor]

The time for intense summit diplomacy has begun.

Today (Aug. 23), the first stage of a series of meetings with the leaders of Japan and the United States took place, with leaders Lee Jae Myung and Shigeru Ishiba sitting down together in Tokyo, Japan.

The meeting started with friendly remarks, expressing feelings of reassurance. We will now provide detailed coverage of the outcomes of today’s talks.

First, we will report on the main points of the joint press release from the two leaders, presented by reporter Son Seo-young.

[Report]

President Lee Jae Myung visited Japan as his first official destination as head of state since taking office.

He reiterated that the new government places great importance on Korea-Japan relations.

Meeting again 67 days after the G7 summit, the two leaders emphasized the importance of cooperation between the two countries in unison.

[Lee Jae Myung / President: "We should take sufficient time to contemplate the things that are difficult to approach, while cooperating in areas where we can."]

[Shigeru Ishiba / Prime Minister of Japan: "I believe that strengthening and developing Japan-Korea relations will benefit not only our two countries but the entire region."]

The Korea-Japan summit, which ranged from small group meetings to expanded meetings, lasted about 113 minutes, during which the two leaders released a joint press statement.

The two countries agreed to launch a consultative body to jointly addrss issues such as low birth rates, aging populations, and concentration of populations in the metropolitan area.

They confirmed their willingness to cooperate in future industries such as hydrogen and artificial intelligence, as well as their commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and coordination of North Korea policies.

They also pledged cooperation for the successful hosting of events such as the Gyeongju APEC Summit.

[Lee Jae Myung / President: "Shuttle diplomacy between the two leaders has also resumed. This indicates that Korea-Japan relations have quickly returned to a normal trajectory since the return of democratic South Korea."]

[Shigeru Ishiba, Prime Minister of Japan: "I hope that the governments and people of both countries can join hands and walk together towards a better future."]

Prior to the summit, President Lee met with Korean residents in Japan and stated that the progress in Korea-Japan relations towards a new future was made possible by the contributions of those residents.

He also emphasized that he would ensure there would be no more state violence, referencing the suffering endured by Korean residents during the spy manipulation incident.

President Lee will meet with Japanese political figures tomorrow (Aug. 24) to discuss ways to further develop Korea-Japan relations. After completing his two-day visit to Japan, he will depart for the United States for a Korea-U.S. summit.

This is Son Seo-young reporting from Tokyo for KBS News.