Asia-Pacific

Yoon Stresses Maintaining Japan-ROK Cooperation After Kishida Steps Down; Kishida’s Planned South Korea Visit ‘Welcomed’

AP
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers a speech during his briefing on state affairs at the Presidential Office on Thursday in Seoul.

By Kazusa Yoda / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent

12:51 JST, August 30, 2024

SEOUL — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said Thursday that he would work together with the next Japanese prime minister to maintain bilateral cooperation after Prime Minister Fumio Kishida leaves office. The comment followed Kishida’s announcement not to run in the upcoming Liberal Democratic Party presidential election.

“No matter who will next be in charge of Japan’s administration, I would like to have a talk with that person about maintaining cooperation for the future of South Korea and Japan,” Yoon said at a press conference at the Presidential Office.

Regarding successes in improving relations, Yoon referred to 11 occasions of him meeting with Kishida for summit talks since his inauguration in 2022, saying, “We have revitalized security and economic cooperation.”

U.S. President Joe Biden will also leave office in January, and Yoon stressed that the collaborative alliance between the three countries “will not change just because leaderships change.”

As for Kishida’s visit to South Korea currently scheduled for early September, Yoon said, “I will welcome it if it goes ahead.”