Top diplomats of Korea, Japan meet on sidelines of G20 meeting in Brazil

The foreign ministers of South Korea and Japan promised close cooperation in dealing with continued North Korean nuclear provocations during a meeting Wednesday in Brazil.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul, right, with his Japanese counterpart Yoko Kamikawa at the G20 foreign ministers' meeting held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Wednesday. [MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS]

The foreign ministers of South Korea and Japan promised close cooperation in dealing with continued North Korean nuclear provocations during a meeting Wednesday in Brazil.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul met separately with his Japanese counterpart Yoko Kamikawa for the first time during a meeting of ministers from G20 countries in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

In a 30-minute meeting, Cho and Kamikawa also discussed ways for the two countries' foreign ministries to communicate for “future-oriented development” of South Korea’s and Japan’s relationship with the upcoming 60th anniversary of normalizing diplomatic relations next year.

However, matters of dispute between the two countries regarding the compensation given to victims of wartime forced labor and the Dokdo islets were also discussed.

The two ministers condemned North Korea’s recent belligerent rhetoric and provocations that escalated tensions on the Korean Peninsula and in the region and pledged to continue efforts with the international community to bring North Korea to the path of denuclearization, according to the Foreign Ministry.

North Korea has so far conducted five cruise missile launches this year alone.

Cho also asked for Korea and Japan to continue close communication regarding North Korea-Japan relations.

Recently, possible dialogue between North Korea and Japan has surfaced, with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida remarking about a potential summit between the two countries on Feb. 9.

The South Korean government has expressed its position that a North Korea-Japan summit “should be conducted in a direction conducive to the denuclearization of North Korea and peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.”

Cho and Kamikawa also confirmed their ministries’ positions to closely cooperate on various North Korean human rights issues, including that of abductees, detainees and prisoners of war.

On the vice foreign ministers’ strategic and security dialogue between South Korea and Japan, which resumed last year after a thawing of relations between the two countries, the ministers agreed that it should be continued this year at an appropriate time.

Additionally, Cho and Kamikawa agreed to work together to hold a Korea-Japan-China summit as soon as possible.

Kamikawa said that South Korea-Japan relations made great progress last year thanks to the leadership of President Yoon Suk Yeol and Prime Minister Kishida and expressed hope that the two countries will deepen ties by broadening the scope of cooperation in various fields this year.

However, the two sides did not agree on all matters discussed during the meeting on Wednesday.

Kamikawa expressed strong regret over the recent distribution of money deposited by a Japanese company, Hitachi Zosen, to South Korean courts following a lawsuit on forced labor during the Japanese occupation of Korea (1910-1945), noting that such transactions gave an “unfair disadvantage” to Japanese companies.

In response, Cho said that the distribution of the deposited money by Hitachi Zosen to forced labor victims was conducted per procedures stipulated in relevant laws.

Cho, in turn, protested the so-called “Takeshima Day” event held at Shimane prefecture in Japan and the attendance of high-ranking government officials at the event. Takeshima is the Japanese name for the Dokdo islets.

Seoul maintains that no territorial dispute exists as its easternmost Dokdo islets are historically, geographically and under international law an integral part of Korean territory. The Dokdo islets, effectively controlled by Korea, also serve as a painful reminder of Japan's imperialistic past and its colonial rule over the peninsula.

The Foreign Ministry also made an official complaint Thursday about the "Takeshima Day" event to Japan and called for an "immediate abolishment" of the event.

Kamikawa reportedly reiterated Japan’s position on the matter to Cho. In a recent diplomatic speech at the regular session of the Diet, the national legislature of Japan, Kamikawa argued that Dokdo is “both in light of historical facts and under international law, Japan’s unique territory.”

Cho’s and Kamikawa’s meeting at the Rio de Janeiro meeting of G20 ministers on Wednesday was the first such meeting between the two countries’ foreign ministers. The top diplomats of South Korea, the United States and Japan are to hold talks on Thursday at the same meeting, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said.

Cho will also meet with the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Feb. 28 in Washington, the Foreign Ministry announced Thursday.

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]