1. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha paid a courtesy call on Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on July 8, and after the courtesy call, she held a luncheon meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono, and exchanged views on issues of mutual interest, including ways to advance the ROK-Japan relations, and issues on the Korean Peninsula.

2. Minister Kang and Prime Minister Abe reaffirmed the two countries’ willingness to further advance their relations, as the two countries mark the 20th anniversary of the “Joint Declaration on a New ROK-Japan Partnership towards the 21st Century (so-called Kim Dae-jung-Obuchi Joint Declaration)” in October this year.

o Prime Minister Abe said that though there were difficult issues between the two countries, it was important to manage them appropriately, and to establish future-oriented relations. He asked Minister Kang to convey his thoughts to President Moon Jae-in.

- Minister Kang said that it was essential to manage difficult issues between the two countries well and to enhance mutual understanding between younger generations of the two countries, and that she would surly relay his message to President Moon.

o Prime Minister Abe hoped that President Moon would visit Japan on proper occasions, including the 20th anniversary of the Joint Declaration on a New ROK-Japan Partnership towards the 21st Century, and offered to put shuttle diplomacy into full gear through his visit to the ROK at an appropriate time.

o Minister Kang conveyed to Prime Minister Abe President Moon’s verbal message regarding the human casualties and material damage caused by record torrential rains across western Japan in recent days, and Prime Minister Abe expressed deep appreciation for President Moon’s warm condolences.

3. Minister Kang and Prime Minister Abe took note that the first high-level consultation between the US and North Korea since the US-North Korea summit (June 12) was held through Secretary Pompeo’s latest visit to North Korea. They agreed to continue efforts to achieve complete denuclearization and establish peace on the Korean Peninsula, building upon the results of the consultation.

o Minister Kang and Prime Minister Abe especially shared the view that cooperation between the ROK and Japan, and among the ROK, the US, and Japan would be essential in working to hold follow-up consultations with North Korea, and agreed to further strengthen close communications and cooperation at each level.

4. In the luncheon meeting between the Foreign Ministers, Foreign Minister Kono said that Japan also formed a task force (TF) to facilitate cultural and people-to-people exchanges, following the ROK’s lead. Minister Kang talked about what the ROK’s task force was doing, and the two sides agreed to continue to devise concrete measures to use the 20th anniversary of the Joint Declaration on a New ROK-Japan Partnership towards the 21st Century as an opportunity to advance the bilateral relations.

※ The Foreign Ministry launched a “task force to increase cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the ROK and Japan” on May 28.

o In addition, the two Ministers took note of the progress in fisheries negotiations between the ROK and Japan, and agreed to continue to work together to make sure that the negotiations are completed early, and fishing activities resume.

o The two Ministers also exchanged in-depth views on the process to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula and establish peace on the Peninsula, and agreed to continue to work closely together towards the ultimate resolution of the issue.

* unofficial translation