1. During her visit to Japan on December 19 and 20, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan on December 19, during which the two sides exchanged views on the Republic of Korea-Japan relations as well as nuclear and other issues of North Korea.

2. Minister Kang relayed to the Prime Minister the ROK President’s verbal message of commitment to develop the ROK-Japan relations in a future-oriented manner.

° Prime Minister Abe, extending appreciation to the President for the message, stated that, the ROK being one of Japan’s most important neighbors with shared strategic interests, he, on his part, intends to manage a number of bilateral issues well and in close communication with President Moon Jae-in, and seek to advance the bilateral ties in a future-oriented way.

※ The gist of the ROK President’s message to the Japanese Prime Minister
- The President hopes that the two countries will resolve with wisdom thorny, history-related issues between them, and, by doing so, will jointly open a new future in the significant year of 2018, the 20th anniversary of the “Joint Declaration: A New ROK-Japan Partnership towards the Twenty-first Century” announced by former President Kim Dae-jung and former Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi.

- The President hopes to continue exchanging views with the Prime Minister on ways to advance the bilateral ties; to meet and welcome the Prime Minister to Pyeongchang during the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games; and to meet the Prime Minister in Japan for an ROK-Japan-China summit as soon as possible.

3. Minister Kang noted with appreciation that the two countries, in close communication with each other led by the leaders of the two countries, have created a positive mood in their relations, expressing hope that the two countries will continue frequent communication and exchanges and thereby take their relations a notch higher.

4. Prime Minister Abe expressed wish for the success of the Pyeongchang sporting event as well as to meet President Moon Jae-in at a Japan-hosted ROK-Japan-China summit as soon as possible.

5. Minister Kang and Prime Minister Abe, recognizing the importance of a peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue, agreed to make utmost efforts to that end, including enforcing tough sanctions and putting pressure on the North in close coordination among the ROK, the US and Japan.


* unofficial translation