Breakthrough summit thaws up frozen S. Korea-Japan ties

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

National

Tue, September 26, 2023 | 08:47

Foreign Affairs

Breakthrough summit thaws up frozen S. Korea-Japan ties

Posted : 2023-03-16 22:28

Updated : 2023-03-16 22:49

President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee, left, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his wife Yuko Kishida, pose ahead of a dinner hosted by Kishida at a restaurant in Ginza district, Tokyo, Thursday. Yonhap

Yoon treated with his favorite dish 'Omurice'

By Lee Hyo-jin

A milestone summit between the leaders of South Korea and Japan held Thursday highlighted both nations' willingness to thaw bilateral relations which had been deeply frozen over the past few years.

President Yoon Suk Yeol held talks with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kihsida on the first day of his two-day visit to Tokyo. It was the first time in 12 years for a South Korean president to visit Japan for a summit.

It was the third time for the two leaders to sit down for talks, as they have previously held bilateral meetings only on the sidelines of multilateral gatherings. They met during the U.N. General Assembly in New York in September last year and then during a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Cambodia in November.

Compared to their previous encounters, both Yoon and Kishida seemed eager to restore relations at Thursday's summit, seemingly trying not to waste a rare opportunity to improve the years-long strained relations.

Yoon arrived at Kishida's office, where the summit was set to be held, at around 4:40 p.m. He attended an honor guard inspection and was greeted by the Japanese Cabinet members. At 5:15 p.m., the two leaders sat down for talks on a green table facing each other with the top diplomats from each side next to them.

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"Cherry blossoms just started in Tokyo this week. It is a pleasure for me to have the opportunity to open a new chapter in our bilateral relations with President Yoon," Kishida said in his opening remarks. "I would like to share opinions on bolstering communication in various sectors, such as politics, the economy and culture to the mutual benefit of both countries."

President Yoon Suk Yeol, right, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attend an honor guard ceremony ahead of their bilateral meeting at the latter's office in Tokyo, Thursday. Reuters-Yonhap

Yoon, for his part, highlighted the importance of the summit, saying, "Today's meeting with Prime Minister Kishida has a special significance, as it shows the people of both countries know that Korea-Japan relations stand at a new beginning, after going through difficult times due to various issues."

The two leaders also shared the need for stronger security cooperation in response to North Korea's increasing belligerence. The reclusive regime had fired an intercontinental ballistic missile into the East Sea just hours before Yoon's departure to Tokyo earlier in the day.

The one-hour meeting ended on an optimistic note.

In a joint press conference held shortly after, Yoon and Kishida announced the resumption of the so-called "shuttle diplomacy," referring to meetings held by the leaders of the neighboring countries once a year. The practice had come to an abrupt halt in 2011 as bilateral relations became strained due to renewed disputes over history and territory.

The briefing was followed by a dinner hosted by Kishida at a restaurant in Ginza district famous for "sukiyaki" or beef stew.

Around 7:40 p.m., Yoon and first lady Kim Keon hee arrived at the restaurant where they were greeted by Kishida and his wife, Yuko Kishida. The four posed for photos at the entrance and entered the dining hall, which featured the traditional "horigotatsu" style where the table is positioned low to the ground and has a recessed floor beneath.

At 9:15 p.m., Kishida took Yoon to another restaurant famous for "omurice," or fried rice topped with an omelet, for an ice-breaking dinner. The menu was arranged by Kishida, who took into account that omurice was reportedly Yoon's favorite dish.

The Korean presidential office hailed Tokyo's exceptionally warm welcome.

"It is a highly rare practice in Japan to hold a dinner attended by the presidential couple. Usually, in working-level visits, the Japanese prime minister hosts a dinner at his residence with the attendance limited to officials," presidential spokesperson Lee Do-woon said in a written briefing.

lhj@koreatimes.co.kr