At the heart of Busan's bustling port city, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba met face to face for a landmark summit. This high-level shuttle diplomacy marks a full-circle moment, coming roughly a month after Lee's visit to Tokyo in late August.
According to presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung, the two leaders dove deep into strategies for "strengthening substantial cooperation" and addressing both regional and global challenges. Their dialogue produced several key outcomes:
- Renewed Shuttle Diplomacy: Both sides committed to continuing regular exchanges, fueling momentum for future talks.
- Consultative Body on Social Issues: A new joint platform will tackle shared challenges like demographic shifts and public health.
- Science & Technology Collaboration: The long-paused committee will resume meetings, unlocking opportunities in innovation and research.
- Security & Economic Dialogues: They reviewed recent meetings—from defense ministers' talks to the economic security dialogue and vice finance ministers' meeting—ensuring a unified approach.
President Lee underscored his guiding principle of "moving toward the future while squarely facing the past," arguing that building on positive cooperation can create a virtuous cycle to tackle pending issues. As these two regional powers align on concrete steps, the Busan summit sets the stage for a new chapter in Japan-South Korea relations.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
