Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Wednesday expressed his desire to maintain the “good” momentum in relations with South Korea, as he met with visiting Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, who assumed his post earlier in the month.
During their first meeting at his office, Ishiba also stressed the importance of deepening trilateral cooperation with the United States, according to the Japanese government.
Bilateral and trilateral cooperation have taken on greater importance in addressing North Korea’s missile and nuclear weapons development, while Tokyo is also seeking to resolve the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by Pyongyang in the 1970s and 1980s.
Before meeting with Ishiba for about 15 minutes, Cho, on his first overseas trip as foreign minister, held talks with Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya on Tuesday and said he wants to develop “future-oriented” bilateral ties.
“Japan and South Korea are important neighbors who must work together as partners to tackle various global challenges,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a press conference.
https://japantoday.com/category/politics/japan-pm-eyes-better-ties-with-s.-korea-after-meeting-foreign-chief
