Japanese Prime Minister Kishida begins two-day visit to Seoul

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida began a two-day visit to Seoul on Sunday to hold a bilateral summit with Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in a resumption of so-called "shuttle diplomacy" between the two countries' leaders after 12 years.

Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, right, observe an honor guard during a welcoming ceremony at the Yongsan presidential office in central Seoul Sunday ahead of their bilateral summit. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida began a two-day visit to Seoul on Sunday to hold a bilateral summit with Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in a resumption of so-called "shuttle diplomacy" between the two countries' leaders after 12 years.

The Japanese prime minister and first lady Yuko Kishida arrived at the Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, around noon for a working visit. They were greeted by officials including First Vice Foreign Minister Chang Ho-jin and Korean Ambassador to Japan Yun Duk-min.

Kishida and his first lady immediately paid respects at the Seoul National Cemetery in Dongjak District, southern Seoul, where Korean patriots including independence fighters and Korean War veterans are commemorated. This marked the first such trip to the cemetery since Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda last made a bilateral visit to Seoul in October 2011 to meet with President Lee Myung-bak.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pays respects at the Seoul National Cemetery in Dongjak District, southern Seoul, alongside first lady Yuko Kishida, kicking off a two-day visit to Korea Sunday to hold a bilateral summit with President Yoon Suk Yeol. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Yoon and first lady Kim Keon-hee received Kishida and his wife in a welcoming ceremony at the Yongsan presidential office in central Seoul on Sunday afternoon.

Yoon and Kishida then began their bilateral summit, which includes smaller group talks to be followed by an expanded meeting. The talks were expected to be an occasion to discuss issues including security matters, economic cooperation in areas such as high-tech industries and science and technology, and youth and cultural exchanges.

“Amid the current grave international situation and complex global crises, cooperation between Korea and Japan is essential not only for the common interests of both countries, but also for world peace and prosperity,” said Yoon at the beginning of the talks. “Korea and Japan, who share universal values, must work together with stronger solidarity with the international community in a situation where liberal democracy, which has been the foundation of peace and prosperity, is under threat.”

“It took 12 years to restore shuttle diplomacy, but it took less than two months for the two of us to go back and forth,” said Yoon. “I think this confirms that Korea-Japan relations, which have started anew, are moving forward with speed.”

Yoon also paid condolences on the behalf of Korean people for the victims of the Ishikawa earthquake in Japan on Friday which killed at least one person and injured more.

He also repeated the position he shared during his address at Harvard University on April 28 that he would like to “move away from the perception that we cannot take a single step toward future cooperation” unless past historical issues are completely settled.

Noting that he believes bilateral relations are “improving in earnest,” Yoon said, “I feel a sense of responsibility to create better times beyond the good times between the two countries of the past.”

He expressed hopes that Kishida’s visit “will serve as a fruitful step toward future cooperation” between the two countries.

Kishida said in response that he is “delighted to be able to start full-fledged shuttle diplomacy” by visiting Seoul at an early date, thanking the Koreans and Yoon for their “warm hospitality.”

They will later hold a joint press conference.

In the evening, Yoon and Kim will host a dinner banquet for the Japanese prime minister and his wife.

The two first ladies were also expected to take part in events to strengthen friendly ties, as was the case during the summit in March.

Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, center right, and first lady Kim Keon-hee, wave with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, center left, and first lady Yuko Kishida in a welcoming ceremony at the Yongsan presidential office in central Seoul Sunday ahead of their bilateral summit. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Kishida's visit reciprocates Yoon's trip to Tokyo in March, a step towards normalizing bilateral relations which deteriorated in recent years due to historical disputes stemming from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule and a trade spat.

Ahead of the visit, the Yoon government announced a plan to compensate victims of Japan's wartime forced labor through a Korea-backed public foundation, without set contributions from Japanese companies, a move protested by some victims and civic groups.

In late 2018, the Korean Supreme Court ordered Japanese companies to individually compensate the victims of forced labor during World War II. Japan imposed export restrictions on three key materials essential to Korea's semiconductor and display production in 2019, widely seen as retaliation for the forced labor rulings. Tokyo also removed Korea from its so-called "white list" of trusted trading partners, a move returned by Seoul.

Koreans will be watching closely if Kishida will go beyond simply reaffirming the positions of past Japanese administrations' apologies for its colonial rule over Korea during this visit.

In a joint press conference with Yoon in Tokyo on March 16, Kishida said that he will "inherit the historical awareness of previous cabinets," including the joint declaration of 1998 adopted by Korean President Kim Dae-jung and Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi.

In this landmark declaration, Obuchi acknowledged the "tremendous damage and suffering to the people of the Republic of Korea through its colonial rule" and expressed "deep remorse and heartfelt apology." Kishida didn't repeat the exact words of the statement.

Kishida's trip comes at the heels of Yoon's state visit to the United States in late April for a bilateral summit with U.S. President Joe Biden.

During the summit at the White House on April 26, Yoon and Biden adopted the Washington Declaration, committing to strengthening extended deterrence and creating a NATO-inspired bilateral Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG).

Seoul officials have so far played down the possibility that South Korea, the United States and Japan may establish a three-way nuclear consultative body on extended deterrence in light of the North's nuclear and missile threats.

Other issues of interest could include discussions on Japan's controversial plan to release contaminated water into the Pacific Ocean starting this year from the now defunct Fukushima nuclear power plant, crippled after a massive earthquake and tsunami in March 2011.

The summit could be an opportunity for Japan to restore Korea to its white list of preferred trading partners and enhance cooperation on North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.

After their previous summit, South Korea formally normalized the General Security of Military Information Agreement, or Gsomia, a bilateral military intelligence-sharing pact that was almost terminated by Seoul in 2019 in response to Tokyo's trade curbs. Yoon in Tokyo said that it is in both countries' national interests to normalize relations to better respond to security issues, including North Korea.

Economic security issues are seen to be high on the agenda, including cooperation in stabilizing supply chains and in the semiconductor and battery sectors.

Kishida told reporters in Tokyo early Sunday ahead of Seoul trip that he expects an "honest exchange of opinions based on a relationship of trust" during his summit with Yoon.

On Monday, Kishida is scheduled to hold meetings with members of the Korea-Japan parliamentarians' union and heads of Korea's major business lobbies before heading back to Tokyo.

Kishida's trip to Seoul comes ahead of the G7 summit in Hiroshima later this month, which Yoon has been in invited to attend by the host country, Japan.

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