Lee Jae-myung, the president, and Shigeru Ishiba, the Japanese prime minister, held their first telephone talks on the 9th, according to a report by Kyodo News citing sources from the Japanese government.
On that day, a senior official from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Kyodo News, “The two leaders confirmed through their phone conversation that they will continue close cooperation between the two countries.”
This conversation marks the first official contact with Japan since President Lee took office. It is reported that both leaders have formed a consensus on the importance of Korea-Japan cooperation.
Prime Minister Ishiba has consistently emphasized the necessity of cooperation between Korea and Japan.
Prime Minister Ishiba commented on the 4th, soon after President Lee’s election, saying, “I pay my respects to the choice of the Korean people as an achievement of Korean democracy.”
He also stated, “Japan truly wants to open its heart to Korea and actively enhance exchanges, including at the civilian level, to strengthen solidarity.”
In particular, despite the turmoil in domestic politics following last December’s impeachment incident, he repeatedly emphasized that “the importance of the relationship between the two countries remains unchanged considering the current strategic environment.”
President Lee has been actively engaging in telephone diplomacy since taking office. Prior to this, on the 6th, President Lee conducted a telephone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump, making him the first overseas leader to do so. After concluding the telephone talk with Japan, he is seen establishing relationships with major countries.