President Lee Jae-myung met with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and emphasized the importance of Korea-Japan cooperation, saying it is a time when cooperation and communication between allied countries are needed more than ever. Before an expanded meeting with Prime Minister Takaichi at a hotel in Andong, North Gyeongsang, that day, Lee said the international situation is being battered by a storm.
Lee said that along with solid bilateral cooperation, the two countries are realizing how important they are to each other as cooperation partners by weathering the difficulties of the international situation together, adding that even amid various difficult circumstances, the two countries' steadfast friendship is shining more brightly and continuing to develop.
He also said that in just four months, the prime minister and I have visited each other's hometowns, which is not only a first in the history of Korea-Japan relations but also rare to find a similar case abroad, adding that if we do not cling to precedent or convention and broaden the scope of mutual understanding and empathy in this way, it is clear we can devise practical and groundbreaking cooperation measures.
Prime Minister Takaichi said that the international community is facing a very difficult period, including the situation in the Middle East, and added that amid this, it is very important for the two countries to play a central role in stabilizing the Indo-Pacific region by steadily advancing the framework of favorable Japan-Korea relations through the leadership of the president and me. She went on to say it would be good if we could candidly exchange opinions for the benefit of both Japan and Korea and for peace and stability in the region and the international community.
Cheong Wa Dae said that Prime Minister Takaichi's visit to Andong is part of shuttle diplomacy and was arranged as a return visit after President Lee visited Takaichi's hometown, Nara Prefecture, in Jan. The two leaders met four months after the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju in Oct. last year and Lee's trip to Japan in Jan.