Summit between the leaders of South Korea and Japan begins in Tokyo
Yoon has arrived in Tokyo at the invitation of Japan. The talks are taking place after South Korea recently announced compensation for Korean victims of forced labor by Japanese companies during the war.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida began their summit in Tokyo on Thursday. South Korea and Japan are holding their first summit in more than a decade as the leaders seek to iron out long-standing disputes and revive security and economic ties. Yoon has arrived in Tokyo at the invitation of Japan. The talks are taking place after South Korea recently announced compensation for Korean victims of forced labor by Japanese companies during the war.
The summit underscores their shared view of the urgency of forging a united front on North Korea and China with their mutual ally, the United States. Hours before the summit, North Korea on Thursday launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in a display of military might.
The launch is seen as a protest against the summit and ongoing joint military exercises between the US and South Korean armies. However, the missile launch could also provide momentum for Japan and South Korea to draw closer. “Peace and stability in the region is important and we should further strengthen cooperation between allies and like-minded countries,” Kishida said, referring to the missile launch.
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said that Japan intends to reaffirm cooperation with South Korea and the US in response to missile threats posed by North Korea at the summit. President Yoon Suk-yeol said on Wednesday in a written answer to questions asked by several foreign media organizations, including ‘The Associated Press’, “I believe that we need to end this vicious circle, work together for the common interests of the two countries.” Yoon said, “The need for South Korea and Japan to come together at this time has increased in view of the increasing nuclear and missile threats from North Korea and the disruption of global supply chains, as well as many other crises.” .
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