During her visit to Hanoi, Vietnam, for the World Economic Forum (WEF) on ASEAN 2018 from September 11 till 13, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha met bilaterally with Foreign Minister Taro Kono of Japan on September 11.

Minister Kang shared with her Japanese counterpart recent developments in the inter-Korean relations, including the outcome of the visit to North Korea by special envoys of the Republic of Korea and the plan to hold the 2018 Inter-Korean Summit Pyeongyang. She went on to underscore the importance of the ROK-Japan cooperation in seeking progress toward the denuclearization and peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Minister Kono, taking note of the ongoing close coordination between the ROK and Japan on Korean Peninsula issues, particularly extended appreciation to the ROK government for its communication efforts, including through Suh hoon, the head of the National Intelligence Service who had visited Japan and shared with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on September 9 the outcome of his visit to North Korea.

The two Ministers exchanged in-depth views on ways to achieve progress toward the denuclearization and peace on the Korean Peninsula, and agreed to further step up strategic communication between the two countries.

Minister Kang extended sympathy over the damage from the typhoon in Osaka and earthquakes in Hokkaido, in response to which Minister Kono expressed appreciation.

The two Ministers noted with appreciation ongoing robust exchanges and communication between the two countries at various levels, as can be seen from the talks held between Prime Ministers Lee Nak-yeon and Shinzo Abe in Vladivostok on September 11. Minister Kono voiced hope that President Moon Jae-in would visit Japan as soon as possible.

The two top diplomats agreed to fully use the 20th anniversary of the “Kim Dae-jung-Obuchi Joint Declaration,” which falls on October 8, as an opportunity to continue consultations to seek specific ways to work together in diverse sectors.

In particular, Minister Kono, bringing attention to the plan of the Japanese “advisory panel of experts on promotion of cultural and people-to-people exchanges” to wrap up discussions and announce their results in early October, suggested that the two countries continue consultations to draw up desirable ways to work together in the field.

The ROK Foreign Ministry launched a task force in May 2018 to increase cultural and people-to-people exchanges with Japan, which issued its outcome report in August 2018.

The “advisory panel of experts on promotion of cultural and people-to-people exchanges,” formed by the Japanese Foreign Ministry in July 2018, is still holding discussions.

With regard to the “comfort women” issue, the two Ministers articulated the positions of their respective countries.

* unofficial translation