SEOUL, June 9 — South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba have agreed to address geopolitical crises under the framework of trilateral cooperation with the United States (US) in their first phone talks today.
Yonhap News Agency, citing the Presidential Office, reported that during the 25-minute conversation, Lee and Ishiba also reaffirmed the importance of bilateral ties between the two neighbours and expressed hope to meet in person at an early date.
"Lee expressed hope that the two countries would work together to explore mutually beneficial approaches to addressing future challenges from the perspective of their shared national interests," presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung told the press.
Kang added that Lee, who has pursued a "pragmatic" diplomacy, and Ishiba shared a consensus on the need to build a more "solid and mature" bilateral relationship based on "mutual respect, trust, and a responsible attitude".
Recognising the 60th anniversary of the normalisation of diplomatic relations between the two nations later this month, Lee and Ishiba agreed to promote people-to-people exchanges and enhance communication between their governments.
A potential venue for their first in-person meeting could be the Group of Seven summit in Canada, scheduled for June 15 to June 17, where Lee has been invited as a guest.
Since taking office, he has stressed the need for policy coherence in dealing with Japan, signalling his intention to uphold the previous Yoon Suk-yeol administration's approach on the wartime forced labour issue, which helped ease strained ties between Seoul and Tokyo.
It marks Lee's second call with a foreign leader, following his first conversation with US President Donald Trump on Friday.
Lee's office is also arranging a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to a senior presidential official.
— Bernama
[caption id="attachment_399285" align="aligncenter" width="1038"]
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba reacts as he speaks to the press after a Japanese negotiator held ministerial talks at the White House regarding United States tariffs, at the Prime Minister's official residence in Tokyo, Japan, on April 17, 2025. — Picture by REUTERS[/caption]
