Japan, South Korea Decided To Restart Routine Meetings At Tokyo Summit

(CTN NEWS) – At the Tokyo Summit on Thursday, Japan and South Korea decided to restart routine leader-to-leader meetings and take efforts to settle a trade dispute.

To move past a century of challenging history, the prime minister of Japan described their meeting as a “major step” towards reestablishing the security and economic connections between the two countries.

The conference might alter the northeast Asian region’s strategic landscape.

Due to their shared concerns about a restless North Korea and a more potent China, the two U.S. allies, who have frequently clashed in the past, are attempting to unite.

Hours after a North Korean missile launch and confrontations between Japanese and Chinese vessels in disputed waters.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and the South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol both emphasised the value of improving relations as they launched the summit.

AUTHORITY REINSTATES SECURITY TIES

The meeting will signal the start of the leaders’ routine visits, which had been put on hiatus for more than ten years, Kishida said in his opening remarks.

In addition to commencing a process of trilateral communication between Japan, South Korea, and China, he said that the nations had also decided to resume defense dialogue and vice-ministerial strategic consultations.

In terms of our bilateral relations, after a long winter, Japan is finally able to welcome the president of South Korea for the first time in 12 years, Kishida said. “Cherry blossoms just started flowering in Tokyo this week,” he added.

Japan-South Korea relations must be strengthened in the current geopolitical environment, the two presidents agreed.

It “has special significance as it tells the people of both countries that South Korea-Japan relations are off to a new beginning after being troubled by different issues,” according to Yoon of the meeting on Thursday.

The two nations, he continued, “are allies that must work on security, economic challenges, and global agendas” because they “share the same democratic principles.”

Yoon declared, “The ever-increasing threat posed by North Korea’s nuclear missile program poses a major challenge to peace and stability in East Asia and the (broader) worldwide community.

It is important for South Korea and Japan to cooperate closely and stand united against this threat.”

Yoon asserted that South Korea’s and Japan’s interests are not mutually exclusive. Improved bilateral ties would “significantly assist both countries in addressing their security issues.”

According to Yoon, the two leaders expanded their collaboration in areas like security, the economy, and inter-personal interactions.

Washington seems to have put a lot of effort into organizing the Tokyo Summit.

Over 40 trilateral meetings between the United States and its two allies, according to U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel, who believes that cooperation during this process helped to foster confidence.

The White House applauded the meeting between Kishida and Yoon.

Also, the United States will continue to help Japan and the ROK as they take steps to turn this new understanding into long-lasting progress, according to John Kirby, a spokesman for the WHNSC.

TO RESTORE TRADE TIES, SOUTH KOREA AND JAPAN ACHIEVE A DEAL

Before the Tokyo Summit even started, South Korea’s trade minister Lee Chang-yang announced that Japan had agreed to end its export restrictions on the country following discussions this week and that South Korea would withdraw its WTO complaint if the restrictions were lifted.

Japan and South Korea have long-standing disagreements about a group of islands, the Japanese colonisation of the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945.

And atrocities committed during World War II, including forced exploitation of “comfort women” for Japanese soldiers.

When the South Korean Supreme Court ordered Japanese corporations to compensate Korean victims or grieving relatives in 2018, relations hit an all-time low. Shortly after, Japan placed economic penalties on South Korea.

The Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry stated that it had observed improvements in South Korea’s export regulations during the negotiations and that.

In response to Seoul’s decision to withdraw its WTO complaint, Japan had lifted its sanctions against South Korea and returned it to the pre-July 2019 situation.

Fluorinated polyimides, which are utilized in OLED panels for Televisions and smartphones, as well as photoresist and hydrogen fluoride, which are needed to make semiconductors, were all subject to Japanese export regulations.

The nations will keep talking on regaining each other’s favoured trading status, according to Lee’s ministry. According to Kishida, the two nations also decided to start having regular discussions about economic security.

Region in turmoil as Beijing and Washington compete for influence

The conference takes place amid a number of spectacular incidents that Kishida described as a “difficult security environment.”

Better relations between Japan and South Korea will be welcomed in Washington as the U.S. effort to fortify its alliances in Asia has been hampered by disputes over historical matters.

Thursday marked the start of coordinated anti-submarine warfare exercises between the three nations and Canada and India.

Just before Yoon left for Tokyo on Thursday morning, North Korea fired off a missile.

North Korea claimed on Friday that the largest joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea in years were the target of the intercontinental ballistic missile launch, which leader Kim Jong Un oversaw.

On Thursday, both China and Japan escalated their dispute over a small group of islands in the East China Sea by accusing the other of invading their maritime domain.

The conference comes after a string of Chinese diplomatic triumphs in areas that have historically been perceived as being more under US control.

As part of Beijing’s efforts to isolate the autonomously ruled island, Honduras declared on Wednesday that it would withdraw its diplomatic recognition of Taiwan in favour of China.

Last week, Saudi Arabia and Iran announced a surprising agreement to reestablish diplomatic ties, mediated by China.

BUSINESS TALKS AND DINNER FOLLOW THE TOKYO SUMMIT

After the Tokyo Summit, Kishida and Yoon had dinner and unofficial conversations, according to Kishida’s office.

Yoon’s favourite foods, “sukiyaki” beef stew and “omu-rice,” or rice topped with an omelette, were served as part of a two-part dinner hosted by Kishida.

The Japanese government published a photo of a group of leaders toasting each other with beers while grinning.

The Japanese mostly praised the meeting’s outcome as the start of their future cooperation.

“Japan and South Korea need to have their normalized relations contribute not only for themselves but for the benefit of the entire international society,” Japan’s largest newspaper Yomiuri wrote in an editorial Friday.

Yoon is criticised at home by those who feel he compromised too much, and a few individuals showed up at protests in Seoul to protest the deal.

Yoon attended a reception held by the Korean Residents’ Union in Japan after his arrival on Thursday.

Hundreds of thousands made a plea for stronger relationships of ethnic Korean inhabitants of Japan, many of whom were descended from those who were taken there against their will during the war.

On Thursday, Keidanren, or the Japan Business Federation, a significant Japanese business lobby, also declared that it and its South Korean counterpart had agreed to separately establish private funds for international initiatives, including youth exchanges.

Keidanren said they want to launch with an investment of 100 million yen ($752,420).

Yoon is traveling with twelve businessmen, and on Friday they will meet their Japanese counterparts.

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