Japan-ROK Summit Meeting (Summary)

On May 21, commencing at 7:55 a.m. for approximately 35 minutes, Mr. KISHIDA Fumio, Prime Minister of Japan, held a Summit Meeting with H.E. Mr. YOON Suk Yeol, President of the Republic of Korea, who was visiting Japan to attend the Outreach Meeting at the G7 Hiroshima Summit. The summary of the meeting is as follows.
 
At the outset, Prime Minister Kishida stated that he was delighted to welcome President Yoon to his hometown, Hiroshima. Prime Minister Kishida added that this being the third Summit Meeting between them in the last two months is a clear sign of the progress in the Japan-ROK bilateral relationship. Referring to the flower-laying ceremony at the Cenotaph for the Victims of the ROK atomic bombing victims just prior to the meeting, he stated that offering prayers together with President Yoon and Mrs. KIM Keon Hee felt important, both for the Japan-ROK relationship as well as for praying for peace in the world.
 
The two leaders valued the progress of dialogue and cooperation between the two governments, including in the economic and security fields. They welcomed the further expansion of bilateral people to people exchanges, including the opening of inter-regional air routes.
 
The two leaders concurred on the importance of strengthening cooperation on global issues. In this context, the two leaders confirmed close Japan-ROK and Japan-ROK-U.S. cooperation in dealing with issues regarding North Korea. As Prime Minister who hails from Hiroshima, Prime Minister Kishida stated that he is hosting the G7 Hiroshima Summit with a strong determination to realize “a World without Nuclear Weapons". He expressed his appreciation for President Yoon's contribution to the discussions at the G7 outreach meetings. Furthermore, the two leaders affirmed that they will continue to promote cooperation toward the realization of a free and open Indo-Pacific.