Top > Regional Affairs > Asia > Republic of Korea > Visit to Japan of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Korea, Kim Dae Jung > Visit to Japan of President Kim Dae Jung of the Republic of Korea (Evaluation and overview)

Visit to Japan of President Kim Dae Jung of the Republic of Korea
(Evaluation and overview)

September 24, 2000
Ministry of Foreign Affairs

I. Overall evaluation and main schedule

1. Overall assessment

(1) The leaders held a productive exchange of views on cultural and national exchange as well as economic cooperation in light of the broad-ranging advances in cooperation achieved since President Kim Dae Jung's October 1998 visit.

(2) Additionally, the close, trilateral partnership among Japan, ROK, and the United States in regard to North Korean policies was reconfirmed following new developments in the Korean Peninsula situation since the Inter-Korean summit meeting.

2. Main schedule

Friday, 22 September
Morning: Arrival in Tokyo
Afternoon: Gathering with cultural representatives, dinner with members from economic circles, and other events

Saturday, 23 September
Morning: Arrival in Atami
Afternoon: Japan-ROK summit meeting Joint press conference Dinner hosted by Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori and his wife

II. Summary of the Japan-ROK Summit Meeting (including the summit breakfast meeting)

1. Japan-ROK relationship

(1) General view of the Japan-ROK relationship

Both leaders acknowledged the excellent state of the Japan-ROK relationship and steady progress in implementing the Japan-ROK Joint Declaration on a New Japan-Republic of Korea Partnership towards the 21st Century and annexed Action Plan and Japan-ROK Economic Agenda 21 since President Kim Dae Jung's 1998 visit and agreed that a new era in Japan-ROK relations toward the 21st century should be built.

(2) Cooperation in economic areas

  1. Balanced expansion of trade
    President Kim suggested that parts and materials industry investments might contribute to balance expansion of trade between the two countries. Prime Minister Mori, meanwhile, pointed to structural factors in Korea underlying trade imbalances and expressed his hope for progress by the parts and materials industry in entering the Korean market with support from Japan-ROK Industrial Technology Cooperation Foundation activities.
  2. High-level economic consultations
    The two countries agreed to coordinate toward holding a working level follow-up meeting for Japan-ROK high-level economic consultations.
  3. Japan's Greater investment in ROK
    President Kim stated that ROK would welcome substantial increases in Japanese investment in the country and would strive to improve the investment environment, including labor-management issues. Prime Minister Mori expressed his gratitude for efforts by the ROK side as well as President Kim himself and mentioned the Government/Private-Sector Joint Investment Promotion Council and other activities in this area.
  4. Free Trade Agreement (FTA)
    The two leaders agreed on the importance of this topic being sufficiently debating at the domestic level in each country and welcomed the establishment of a Japan-ROK FTA Business Forum from this perspective.
  5. Investment Agreement
    The two leaders agreed to accelerate working-level consultations with the goal of concluding an investment agreement within the year.
  6. Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) and Social Security Agreement
    The two leaders agreed that working-level consultations should be held initially to increase understanding of the respective systems.
  7. Information Technology (IT)
    The two leaders agreed to promote cooperation in this area based upon the Japan-ROK IT Cooperation Initiative.
  8. Airline issue
    President Kim requested that Prime Minister Mori take a special interest in the airline issue and consider establishing a service similar to the Washington-New York shuttle because the shortage of flights interferes with exchanges among the Japanese and Korean people that has grown substantially in recent years.

    Prime Minister Mori responded that airline transport capacity should be bolstered from the perspective of promoting human exchange between Japan and ROK and that he would keenly monitor developments in this area and recognized the importance of the airline issue ahead of the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

(3) Cultural and National Exchange

  1. 2002 FIFA World Cup and The Year of Japan-ROK National Exchange
    President Kim expressed his desire for continued close cooperation between the two countries to make the 2002 FIFA World Cup and Year of Japan-ROK National Exchange successful. Prime Minister Mori indicated satisfaction with the progress of various preparations for these events and explained Japan's related measures.
  2. Inclusion of Korean as one of the foreign languages in the Examinations of the National Center for University Entrance
    Prime Minister Mori explained that Korean would be included in the Examinations of the National Center for University Entrance hopefully by January 2002 and no later than January 2003 (fiscal 2002). President Kim voiced his appreciation for Japan's decision to make this inclusion.

(4) Local suffrage for Korean nationals residing in Japan

President Kim indicated his hope that a bill related to local suffrage for Korean nationals residing in Japan be passed within the year.

Prime Minister Mori responded that he sufficiently understands the level of interest from the Korean side and this issue would be addressed by the current session of the Diet, but noted that a serious discussion is required considering its importance as an issue that affects the core of Japanese systems and the broad spectrum of views in Japan ranging from support to opposition. He also indicated his intention to closely follow developments in this area.

2. Policy toward North Korea

(1) President Kim expressed his gratitude for Japan's prompt statement of welcome and support for the Inter-Korean summit meeting and its role in arranging a G8 Statement on the Korean Peninsula at the Kyushu-Okinawa G8 Summit and highlighted the large contribution of the close trilateral coordination among Japan, ROK, and the US to the successful Inter-Korean summit meeting.

Prime Minister Mori responded by welcoming the progress made in inter-Korea relations and expressing his respect for the strong will and patience of President Kim in the implementation of an engagement policy. The Prime Minister also voiced his appreciation for President Kim's cooperation in supporting an improvement in the relationship between Japan and North Korea, including conveying his message to North Korean General Secretary Kim Jong Il, and emphasized that Japan would work hard to enhance Japan-North Korea relations, despite tough issues between the two sides such as the abduction of Japanese citizens, within the framework of coordination and partnership among Japan, ROK, and the US.

(2) President Kim also stated that even though North Korea's regime is stable, North Korea is facing serious economic problems, especially severe food shortages, and that North Korea was hence likely to appreciate efforts by Japan for providing food assistance.

Prime Minister Mori responded that Japan is considering the possibility of food assistance and would not exclude the possibility to cooperate in the future, in the area of infrastructure, but noted that it would be difficult to gain domestic support for economic assistance to North Korea, which continues to sustain a significant military presence, because of fears that such support could lead to reinforcement of its military capabilities.

President Kim stressed the importance of making progress in relations between South and North Korea, Japan and North Korea, and the US and North Korea that leverages mutual positive benefits among these tracks and hence expressed his strong hopes for improvement of the Japan-North Korea relationship.

3. International situation

(1) Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) 3

Prime Minister Mori explained that Japan would provide its utmost cooperation for President Kim during ROK's term as the chairman country, and President Kim expressed his gratitude for Japan's support thus far.

(2) Narcotics, terrorism, piracy, and other transnational crime and environmental issues

The two leaders agreed that their countries should cooperate on the resolution of global issues such as narcotics, terrorism, piracy, and other international crime and environmental issues.

III. Summary of the Japan-ROK Foreign Ministers Meeting

1. Visit by Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Lee Jung Bin

It was decided that both sides would start coordination for Minister Lee's visit to Japan on November 6th and 7th.

2. Airline issue

The two foreign ministers agreed that foreign affairs authorities should closely follow the airline issue from the standpoint of ensuring that limitations on airline transport volume do not present a barrier to human exchange between Japan and ROK.

3. ASEM 3

Foreign Minister Kono proposed that ASEM 3 be utilized as a forum to promote a larger contribution to KEDO from Europe, and Foreign Minister Lee expressed his agreement.

4. FTA

The two ministers agreed on the importance of discussing the FTA issue at the domestic level, while paying due attention to the importance of launching a new WTO round and ensuring consistency with the WTO.

(END)

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