Yoon, Ishiba pledge to continue improving ties in first bilateral summit

President Yoon Suk Yeol and new Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba agreed to promote a seamless development of bilateral relations in their first summit on Thursday, held on the margins of the Asean-related meetings in Laos.

Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, center left, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, center right, Chinese Premier Li Chang, right, and leaders of Asean nations pose for a commemorative photo during the Asean plus three summit at a hotel in Vientiane, Laos, Thursday. Yoon and Ishida later held their first bilateral talks. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

President Yoon Suk Yeol and new Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba agreed to promote a seamless development of bilateral relations in their first summit on Thursday, held on the margins of the Asean-related meetings in Laos.

In his bilateral summit with Ishiba in Vientiane, Yoon proposed building on the active development of Korea-Japan relations, including shuttle diplomacy revived between the two countries' leaders last year.

"I hope to continue the development of Korea-Japan relations through active and close communication," Yoon told Ishida.

The summit, which comes just nine days after Ishiba was elected as Japan's prime minister, was an occasion for the two leaders to break the ice and set the tone for future bilateral ties.

Yoon said he believes improved bilateral ties last year "was possible because of the unwavering trust between the two countries' leaders," recalling his summits with Ishiba's predecessor, Fumio Kishida.

Highlighting that next year marks the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan, Yoon relayed that he hopes to "present a hopeful future for the relationship between our two countries."

He said he wishes to work closely with Ishiba to ensure that "the people of both countries can feel the leap forward in our relationship."

"Under the current strategic environment, close cooperation between Japan and South Korea is very important for regional stability and peace," Ishiba replied.

The prime minister said he would like to "succeed and develop the bilateral relationship that was greatly improved by President Yoon and former Prime Minister Kishida."

This indicated that Ishiba plans to carry on Kishida's diplomatic efforts to prioritize common interests, as he has been known to hold a dovish stance towards Seoul. Yoon and Kishida, through multiple meetings, worked to normalize bilateral relations soured by ongoing historical disputes and a trade spat.

He further indicated that he hopes to follow up on Yoon's shuttle diplomacy proposal to sustain the current good relations between the two countries.

Last week, Yoon and Ishiba held their first phone conversation the day after the new prime minister was inaugurated and agreed to continue to enhance cooperation, including with Washington against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.

The two leaders “shared concerns about North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, as well as illegal cyber activities,” Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo said in a briefing after the talks.

They also underscored that North Korea-Russia military cooperation is illegal, posing threats to regional and global peace and stability. Yoon and Ishiba further agreed to strengthen trilateral security cooperation with the United States, noting their real-time missile warning data system established last year.

Ishiba also said he “strongly supports” Yoon’s unification doctrine, Kim said.

Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, right, shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba during their first bilateral summit at a hotel in Vientiane, Laos, on Thursday on the margins of an Asean gathering. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Yoon arrived in Laos, the last leg of a six-day, three-nation Southeast Asia tour, on Wednesday to participate in a series of meetings related to the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) through Friday.

Earlier Thursday, Yoon pledged to double Korea's cooperation funds for Asean countries to $48 million by 2027 to support key projects in the region during the Korea-Asean summit.

South Korea's relationship with Asean was elevated to a "comprehensive strategic partnership" to deepen regional cooperation in economic and security matters. Korea joins five other countries — Australia, China, India, Japan and the United States — with comprehensive strategic partnerships with Asean.

Korea and the Asean nations issued a joint statement on the comprehensive strategic partnership, "heralding a new era of deeper cooperation" in their relations, focusing on advancing peace and security and building a more "sustainable, resilient and connected future."

This comes as the two sides celebrate the 35th anniversary of establishing dialogue relations this year. The two sides forged a strategic partnership in 2010.

The two sides also agreed to upgrade their free trade agreement signed in 2007.

Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Chinese Premier Li Chang and leaders of Asean nations pose for a commemorative photo during the Asean plus three summit at a hotel in Vientiane, Laos, Thursday. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Yoon later participated in the Asean plus three summit, a cooperative mechanism involving Southeast Asian nations, Korea, Japan and China, focused on enhancing regional connectivity and resilience.

Korea proposed key initiatives during the annual trilateral meeting, which was attended by Ishida, Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Asean leaders, to strengthen and institutionalize connectivity within the region. These include reforming the Chiang Mai Initiative multilateralization, a regional financial safety net, and increasing rice reserves to provide food security to the region. Korea also promised to support the establishment of an electric vehicle hub in the region and enable capacity building for smart cities and mobility projects.

Korea and Asean plan to launch a digital innovation flagship project later this year, injecting some $30 million in investments through 2028.

On the sidelines of the meetings Thursday, Yoon held bilateral summits with leaders of countries including Vietnam and Thailand.

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]