Seoul, June 16 South Korean Prime Minister nominee Kim Min-seok on Monday expressed his hope for deepening relations between South Korea and Japan during a meeting with a high-ranking Japanese official.
"This year is particularly meaningful for both countries as it marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. I hope the horizon of South Korea-Japan cooperation expands even further," Kim said.
He made the remarks while meeting in Seoul with Akihisa Nagashima, special adviser to Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, emphasising that Japan is a key cooperation partner.
The two officials exchanged views on the future direction of bilateral cooperation and ways to strengthen it. They also affirmed their shared understanding of the importance of bolstering trilateral security cooperation among Seoul, Tokyo, and Washington, Yonhap news agency reported.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung also called for South Korea and Japan to join hands for a better future, casting the two neighbours as important partners bound to work together amid a rapidly changing global environment.
Lee made the remark in a congratulatory video message at the start of an event hosted by the Japanese Embassy in Seoul to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, which falls on this Sunday.
"South Korea and Japan are key partners who must cooperate closely in responding to a rapidly changing global landscape. Let's join hands and move toward a better future," Lee said.
The phrase "join hands and move toward a better future" is the official slogan for the 60th anniversary of the normalisation of the ties. Korea was under Japan's colonial rule from 1910-45.
Lee did not attend Monday's ceremony, as he had departed for Canada to take part in an expanded meeting of the Group of Seven summit.
He has signalled a departure from his hard-line stance on the Asian neighbour to maintain the positive momentum in bilateral relations that dramatically improved under the previous conservative government.
Lee has pledged to take a "two-track" approach, separating efforts for forward-looking cooperation from historical disputes rooted in the colonial period.
Among those attending Monday's ceremony were Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Ji-na and Akihisa Nagashima, special adviser to Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, along with government officials, business leaders, academics, and other key stakeholders from both countries.
Kim, in her congratulatory remarks, said that the development of South Korea-Japan relations has been built on the trust and exchanges cultivated by the people of both countries.
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