Japan-Republic of Korea Relations

On September 18, commencing at around 2:54 p.m. (local time) for approximately 45 minutes, Mr. Fumio Kishida, Minister for Foreign Affairs, held a Japan-Republic of Korea (ROK) Foreign Ministers' Meeting with H.E. Mr. Yun Byung-se, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the ROK during his visit to New York. The overview of the meeting is as follows. (From the Japanese side, Mr. Koro Bessho, Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations (UN), Mr. Kenji Kanasugi, Director-General of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau and from the ROK side H.E. Mr. Oh Joon, Permanent Representative of the ROK to the UN, Mr. Kim Hong-kyun, Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and others attended the meeting).

1. Regarding the issues of North Korea, Minister Kishida stated the following: "I hope to strengthen pressure on North Korea through cooperation between Japan-ROK and Japan-US-ROK, in order to change North Korea's behavior; I also hope that Japan-US-ROK will collaborate on the adoption of a new United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution and measures of their own. I intend to advance Japan-ROK security cooperation; and I would like to continue cooperating on resolving North Korea's human rights and humanitarian issues, including the abductions and separated families." In response, Minister Yun stated that "North Korea's nuclear tests and successive ballistic missile launches constituted a new threat of a different dimension and from the standpoint of strengthening pressure on North Korea, the ROK intended to lead the discussion in the international community, including at this UN General Assembly (UNGA), through collaboration between Japan-ROK, and Japan-US-ROK." The two Ministers shared the view that they would continue to cooperate in the international community, including at the UNSC, in order to strengthen pressure on North Korea.
2. The two Ministers also held a brief exchange of views on Japan-ROK relations, including following up on the agreement reached at the end of last year, based on the perspective that building solid, future-oriented Japan-ROK relations will also be important in terms of working together to respond to the North Korea issue.