Japan-Republic of Korea Relations
Japan-ROK Foreign Ministers' Meeting
September 11, 2018


On September 11, commencing at about 3:30 p.m. (local time) for approximately 60 minutes, Mr. Taro Kono, Minister for Foreign Affairs, who is visiting the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam to attend the World Economic Forum on ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations), held a Japan-Republic of Korea (ROK) Foreign Ministers' Meeting with H.E. Dr. Kang Kyung-wha, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the ROK. The overview of the meeting is as follows.
- At the beginning, Minister Kang expressed her condolences over the damages caused by the recent Typhoon No. 21 and the Hokkaido Eastern Iburi earthquake, and Minister Kono expressed his gratitude in response.
- With regard to the issue of North Korea, the two foreign ministers exchanged views on future responses based on the latest development, including the outcomes of the recent visit to North Korea by the ROK's special envoy. Minister Kono expressed his hope that the inter-Korean effort, including the upcoming Inter-Korean Summit, will lead to concrete action on the complete denuclearization of North Korea. On that basis, the two ministers agreed that Japan and the ROK, and Japan, the ROK and the United States, will continue to work closely together.
- The two ministers confirmed that they will move forward with the cooperation to build future-oriented relations while appropriately managing difficult bilateral issues, including the comfort women issue.