Japan-Republic of Korea Relations 
December 2011
History of Bilateral Relations
(a) December 18, 1965: Normalization of diplomatic ties between Japan and the Republic of Korea
(b) Number of Japanese in the Republic of Korea: 15,217 persons (as of October 1 1999; 14,648 long-term residents, 569 permanent residents)
(c) Number of Koreans in Japan: 636,000 persons (as of December 1 1999; includes North Koreans in Japan)
Economic Relations
- (a) Republic of Korea's trade with Japan
- Trade figures (1999 Korean customs base)
- *Exports: $15.86 billion (textile products, electric machinery, metal products, oil products, machinery)
- *Imports: $24.14 billion (electric machinery, machinery, metal products, precesion machinery, chemical products, light industry products)
- (b) Direct investment from Japan: $175 million (1999)
Personal and Cultural Exchange
Exchanges between Japan and the Republic of Korea have been active both on governmental and non governmental levels for some time, and in addition to that, the new governmental programs for exchanges based on the "Action Plan", announced by the two leaders in October 1998, has been promoted actively (e.g. programs for junior and senior high school students, accepting undergraduate students of the departments of science and engineering).
Furthermore, the year 2002, also the year of Soccer World Cup co-hosted by Japan and the ROK, was agreed as "The Year of Japan-ROK National Exchange" in which various exchanges would be held, and governmental working group was established for that. Also, "Japan-Korea Cultural Exchange Council", which consists of leaders from many fields in the non government sector, was founded to discuss plans to enhance cultural and artistic exchange between the two countries.
President Kim Dae Jung has been promoting the liberalization of Japanese culture in the ROK after the long period of restrictions by the government. As a result of his policy, Japanese movies were virtually liberalized, and live performances of Japanese pop songs have met a drastic deregulation.
- THE YEAR OF JAPAN-ROK NATIONAL EXCHANGE IN 2002
- The Year of Japan-China-Republic of Korea National Exchange in 2002 (May 2001)
VIP Visits
- From Japan to Republic of Korea
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Year Name 1997 Foreign Minister Ikeda, Defense Agency Director General Kyuma, Foreign Minister Obuchi 1998 Foreign Minister Obuchi 1999 Prime Minister Obuchi, Foreign Minister Koumura, Foreign Minister Kono 2000 Foreign Minister Kono, Prime Minister Mori 2001 Prime Minister Koizumi 2002 Prime Minister Koizumi Foreign Minister Kawaguchi 2003 Foreign Minister Kawaguchi, Foreign Minister Machimura 2004 Foreign Minister Kawaguchi Prime Minister Koizumi Foreign Minister Machimura 2005 Prime Minister Koizumi Foreign Minister Machimura - From Republic of Korea to Japan
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Year Name 1997 President Kim Young Sam, Foreign Minister Yoo Chong Ha 1997 Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina 1998 President Kim Dae Jung, Prime Minister Kim Jong Pil, Foreign and Trade Minister Park Chung Soo, Foreign and Trade Minister Hong Soon Young, Defense Minister Cheon Young Taek 1999 Prime Minister Kim Jong Pil, Foreign and Trade Minister Hong Soon Young 2000 President Kim Dae Jung, Foreign and Trade Minister Lee Jun Bin, Defense Minister Cho Seong Tae 2002 President Kim Dae-jung 2003 President ROH, Moo Hyun
- The Working Holiday Programmes in Japan
- The Issue of Takeshima
- Issue of the Name of the Sea of Japan
- Japan-China-ROK Trilateral Summit Meeting
- The Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO)
- Telephone Conversation between Foreign Ministers of Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) (December 20, 2011)
- Japan-China-ROK Trilateral Summit Meeting (Overview) (November 19, 2011)
- Exchange of diplomatic notes for the Entry into Force of the Japan-Republic of Korea Nuclear Cooperation Agreement (December 22, 2011)
- Japan-Republic of Korea Summit Meeting (Summary)(December 18, 2011)
- Joint Statement of the Joint Study Committee for an FTA among China, Japan and Korea(December 16, 2011)[PDF]
- Exchange of Notes concerning the Revision of the Schedule to the Agreement between the Government of Japan and the Government of the Republic of Korea for Air Services(July 14, 2011)
- Japan- ROK Summit Telephone Conversation (March 13, 2011)
- Telephone Conversation between Mr. Naoto Kan, Prime Minister of Japan, and Mr. Lee Myung-bak, President of the Republic of Korea (August 10, 2010)
- Statement by Prime Minister Naoto Kan (August 10, 2010) [English
/Japanese/Korean [PDF]] (Prime Minister of Japan and his Cabinet Official Website) - Statement by Mr. Katsuya Okada, Minister for Foreign Affairs, on the Issuance of the Statement of the President of the United Nations Security Council concerning the sinking of a military patrol vessel (July 9, 2010)
- The 4th ROK-Japan Counter-Terrorism Consultation (June 29, 2010)
- Telephone Conversation between Mr. Katsuya Okada, Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Mr. Yu Myung-Hwan, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Republic of Korea (June 7, 2010)
- Telephone Talk Between Mr. Yukio Hatoyama, Prime Minister of Japan, and Mr. Lee Myung-bak, President of Republic of Korea (May 24, 2010)
- Comment by the Japanese Prime Minister
on the announcement by the Republic of Korea of the results of the investigation into the sinking of a military patrol vessel (May 20, 2010)
- Mr. Katsuya Okada, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, to Attend the Trilateral Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Japan, the People’s Republic of China, and the Republic of Korea (May 2010)
- Courtesy Call on Mr. Katsuya Okada, Minister for Foreign Affairs, by a Korean Delegation of the 42nd Japan-Korea Business Conference (April 2010)
- Message of Sympathies from Mr. Katsuya Okada, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, Regarding the Incident of ROK’s Navy Vessel (March 2010)
- Release of the 2nd Term Report by the Japan-ROK Joint History Research Committee (March 2010)
- Third Round of High Level Dialogue between Japan and Republic of Korea on Climate Change (February 2010)
- Joint Press Conference Following the Japan-Republic of Korea Foreign Ministers' Meeting (February 11, 2010)
- Second Round of High Level Dialogue between Japan and the Republic of Korea on Climate Change (January 2010)
- High Level Dialogue between Japan and Republic of Korea on Climate Change (November 2009)
- Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) (Outline of the 6th Round of Negotiation) (November 2009)
- Statement by the Press Secretary on the Decision by the Republic of Korea to Establish a New Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Afghanistan (November 2009)
- Joint Press Conference by Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama of Japan and President Lee Myung-bak of the Republic of Korea (Prime Minister of Japan and his Cabinet Website) (October 2009)
- Visit to the People's Republic of China by Mr. Katsuya Okada, Minister for Foreign Affairs (October 2009)
- Mr. Katsuya Okada, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, to Attend the Trilateral Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Japan, the People's Republic of China, and the Republic of Korea (September 2009)
- Visit to Japan by Mr. Yu Myung-hwan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Republic of Korea (September 2009)
- Dispatch of a Special Envoy to the State Funeral of H.E. Mr. Kim Dae-jung, Former President of the Republic of Korea (August 2009)
- Statement by Prime Minister Taro Aso on the Passing of Former President Kim Dae Jung of the Republic of Korea (Prime Minister of Japan and his Cabinet Website) (August 2009)
- The 3rd ROK-Japan Counter-Terrorism Consultation (July 2009)
- The Sixth Round of the Negotiation on the Trilateral Investment Agreement and the Twelfth Meeting of the Government Mechanism for the Improvement of Business Environment for Investment among the People's Republic of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (April 2009)
- Telephone Conversation between Foreign Ministers of Japan and the Republic of Korea regarding the Launch of a Flying Object by North Korea (April 2009)
- Dispatch of Government Delegation to discuss the issue of Trafficking in persons (March 2009)
- The 2nd Tripartite Policy Dialogue among Japan, People's Republic of China, and Republic of Korea on Climate Change and the 5th Japan-People's Republic of China Climate Change Dialogue (February 2009)
- Japan-Republic of Korea Foreign Ministers' Meeting (Overview) (February 2009)
- The Japan-ROK Meeting Concerning the Reconstruction of Afghanistan (January 2009)
- Japan-Republic of Korea Summit Meeting (January 2009)
- Japan-China-ROK Action Agenda for Improvement of the Business Environment (December 2008) [PDF]
- Japan-China-R.O.K Trilateral Policy Consultation on Foreign Policy towards Africa (December 2008)
- Japan-U.S.-ROK Vice-Ministerial Consultation (October 2008)
- Visit to Japan by Mr. Kim Sook, Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs of the ROK Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (August 2008)
- Results of the 11th Meeting of the Japan-Republic of Korea (ROK) Joint Committee on Environmental Cooperation (June 2008)
- The 11th Meeting of the Japan-Republic of Korea (ROK) Joint Committee on Environmental Cooperation (June 2008)
- Trilateral Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Japan, the People's Republic of China, and the Republic of Korea (June 2008)
- The Sixth Japan-Republic of Korea (ROK) Vice-Ministerial Strategic Dialogue (June 2008)
- Visit to Japan by R.O.K. Junior High School Students under the Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths (JENESYS Programme) (May 2008)
- Ninth Round of Negotiations between Japan and the Republic of Korea (R.O.K.) on the Delimitation of the Economic Exclusive Zone (EEZ) and the Negotiations on the Provisional Framework concerning Cooperation in Marine Scientific Research (May 2008)
- Visit to Japan of Mr. Yu Myung-hwan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Republic of Korea (April 2008)
- Visit to Japan of His Excellency Mr. Lee Myung-Bak, President of the Republic of Korea and Mrs. Kim Yoon-Ok (April 2008)
- Visit to the Republic of Korea by Mr. Akitaka Saiki, Director-General of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (February 2008)
- Fifth Japan-Republic of Korea (ROK) Vice-Ministerial Strategic Dialogue and 16th Japan-ROK Director-General Level Consultation on the Legal Status and the Treatment of ROK Nationals Residing in Japan (January 2008)
(Open a New Window)Press Secretary's Press Conference on the Republic of Korea
| Year | Month | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | February | 4 |
| 2009 | June | 25 |
| February | 12 | |
| January | 8 | |
| 2008 | December | 11 |
| November | 6 | |
| June | 3 | |
| April | 1 | |
| March | 11 |
- Embassy of Japan in the Republic of Korea Web Site
- Consulate General of Japan in Jeju Web Site
- Consulate General of Japan in Busan Web Site
- Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Japan Web Site
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