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| Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, right, shakes hands with Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Yasumasa Nagamine at Seoul Air Base, Oct. 22, before departing for Japan for a three-day trip. Yonhap |
By Kim Yoo-chul, Park Ji-won
SEOUL/TOKYO ― Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon said Tuesday he will use his visit to Tokyo as an opportunity to advance Seoul-Tokyo relations, as he is keen to serve as a "messenger and facilitator" between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
"I don't expect all outstanding issues to be addressed just because of my one-time special visit to Tokyo, but I hope my visit signals South Korea and Japan to go one step further," Prime Minister Lee told Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Yasumasa Nagamine at Seoul Air Base before departing for Tokyo for a three-day trip to attend the coronation of the new Japanese emperor, according to press pool reports.
Lee arrived at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo using the presidential plane. He was accompanied by more than 30 South Korean media outlets and 50 reporters.
"During my stay in Tokyo, I will meet Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and business leaders, as well as key politicians. I will tell them responsible Korean and Japanese politicians and businesspeople will need to understand that their close involvement in dialogue is an important part of the process to advance bilateral relations," Lee told Ambassador Nagamine.
The highlight of Lee's Tokyo visit take place on the morning of Oct. 24 as he will deliver President Moon's handwritten letter to Abe on the occasion of their brief meeting at the Prime Minister's Office of Japan.
Regarding the specifics of President Moon's personal letter, Cheong Wa Dae spokeswoman Ko Min-jung declined to comment. But Seoul's Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha told lawmakers, Monday, a possible summit between President Moon and Abe is likely at the upcoming APEC meeting to be held next month in Chile, if the prime minister's visit brings progress in narrowing conditions and differences over key pending bilateral issues.
Ties between South Korea and Japan have been deteriorating since Tokyo imposed export controls against Seoul, claiming the South Korean Supreme Court's decision last year to order Japanese companies to compensate surviving South Korean victims of forced labor is a breach of international law. Japan said all outstanding issues relating to its wartime history were settled through the 1965 normalization treaty, while South Korea said the treaty doesn't cover individual claims.
In response, South Korea decided not to renew the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA),?an intelligence-sharing pact with Japan. The pact is a symbol of security cooperation between Washington, Seoul and Tokyo. Washington asked Seoul to extend the pact, which expires on Nov. 24.
