1. Mr. Kim Jung-han, Director-General for Asian and Pacific Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, had a video consultation with Mr. Shigeki Takizaki, Director-General of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, on the morning of June 24, and exchanged views on issues of mutual interest, including the COVID-19 issue.

2. In this consultation, held about a month after the last one on May 13, Directors-General Kim and Takizaki engaged in a broad exchange of views on the two countries’ efforts to control COVID-19 and the results of such efforts, as well as the current situations in both countries. They also agreed on the need to continue close communication between the diplomatic authorities of the two countries to stop the spread of the virus, and noted with appreciation that the two sides have been cooperating in protecting each other’s nationals in their respective territories and in the process of repatriating their nationals abroad.

3. Directors-General Kim and Takizaki shared their countries’ positions on pending bilateral issues, including the Japanese government’s export-restrictive measures against the Republic of Korea and the issue of forced labor.

o In this context, Director-General Kim particularly pointed out that the contents of the exhibition at Japan’s Industrial Heritage Information Centre, made public recently, show that the Japanese government neither implemented the Decision adopted by the World Heritage Committee nor took the follow-up measures that a Japanese government representative promised when the Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2015. Director-General Kim expressed strong regret and protest, and sternly urged Japan to take corrective action. Director-General Takizaki mentioned the Japanese government’s position on the matter.

4. The two Directors-General agreed to continue close communication and consultations between the diplomatic authorities of the two countries to resolve pending bilateral issues.