South Korean Foreign Minister visits Japan for first closed-door meeting

On June 21, South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-Se arrived in Tokyo and held talks with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida to improve bilateral relations at a time of tension between the two sides.

South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-Se (left) shakes hands with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida before a closed-door meeting - Photo: Reuters.

This is the first time Foreign Minister Yun has visited Japan since taking office in 2013. According to Reuters, Mr. Yun and Mr. Kishida shook hands happily before entering the closed-door meeting. Tomorrow, Mr. Yun will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and will attend a ceremony to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the normalization of Japan-Korea relations.

In recent times, Japan-Korea bilateral relations have seriously deteriorated due to disagreements related to history and the sovereignty dispute over the Dokdo/Takeshima islands. Seoul believes that Tokyo has not sincerely apologized for its militaristic past, especially the forced labor of 200,000 Korean women to serve the sexual needs of the Japanese military.

Since taking office, Japanese Prime Minister Abe and South Korean President Park Geun-Hye have not met bilaterally. Recently, Nikkei newspaper reported that Japan, South Korea and China are discussing plans to hold a trilateral summit next fall.

It will be an opportunity for Mr. Abe and Ms. Park to meet for the first time. Japanese media said Mr. Kishida and Mr. Yun discussed the plan for this trilateral summit. Observers said this is a sign that Japan-South Korea relations are beginning to show signs of improvement.

Previously, the US government had repeatedly called on Japan and South Korea to resolve their differences and improve relations. Tokyo and Seoul are Washington’s two most important allies in the Asia-Pacific region.

(Reuters/TTO)