Japan-ROK Summit Telephone Talks (Summary)
On October 2, commencing at 3:15 p.m. for approximately 15 minutes (Japan time), Mr. ISHIBA Shigeru, Prime Minister of Japan, spoke over the phone with Mr. YOON Suk Yeol, President of the Republic of Korea (ROK). The summary of the telephone talks is as follows.
At the outset, Prime Minister Ishiba stated that, in light of the current strategic environment, close cooperation between Japan and the ROK was crucial for both countries and he was committed to further developing Japan-ROK relations, and that he looked forward to working closely with President Yoon. President Yoon expressed his congratulations to Prime Minister Ishiba on his assumption of office and his expectation for working closely with Prime Minister Ishiba to strengthen the Japan-ROK relations.
The two leaders confirmed that they would work together to make the current good relationship between the two countries sustainable, looking ahead to the next year, which marks the 60th anniversary of the normalization of the Japan-ROK relations.
The two leaders concurred on working closely together bilaterally and trilaterally among Japan, the ROK and the US regarding the current situation of serious concern such as dealing with North Korea including the nuclear and missile issues. The two leaders also discussed North Korea’s human right’s issues, and president Yoon reiterated his support to Japan regarding the abductions issue.
The two leaders affirmed that the two governments would continue close communication including through “shuttle diplomacy.”
