National Assembly Speaker Cho Jung-sik met with Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Mizushima Koichi at the speaker's office Friday, exchanging views on ways to advance bilateral relations, including practical cooperation and the expansion of parliamentary exchanges.
Cho welcomed the ambassador's visit and thanked him for his efforts to strengthen South Korea-Japan ties.
"The two countries' leaders have been building a special bond of trust, including visits to each other's hometowns, and it is very encouraging to see that spirit translate into vibrant people-to-people exchanges and growing friendship — with bilateral human exchanges surpassing a record 13 million last year," Cho said. "South Korea and Japan are inseparable neighbors and valued partners who share universal values such as democracy."
Cho said mutual dependence between the two countries was deepening across a wide range of fields, including the economy, security and science and technology. "I hope we can produce tangible results in areas where both countries can leverage their respective strengths — supply chains, energy, AI, space and biotech," he said. "I further hope that the development of South Korea-Japan relations will lead to peace and prosperity in Northeast Asia."
Cho also stressed the importance of parliamentary diplomacy. "Even during difficult periods in the bilateral relationship, the tradition of both parliaments consistently maintaining dialogue has served as a firm pillar of our ties," he said. "I will actively work to ensure that exchanges between the two legislatures become even more vibrant going forward."
The speaker also raised the importance of resolving historical issues for the sustainable development of bilateral relations. "Alongside cooperation toward the future, we must also make efforts to properly address historical issues," Cho said. "Just as the 1998 Kim Dae-jung–Obuchi Joint Declaration showed, I hope we can build a South Korea-Japan relationship that moves forward together on the basis of sincere reflection on the past."
In response, Ambassador Mizushima said he was pleased that someone who had worked hard for bilateral relations through the Korea-Japan Parliamentarians' Union had taken office as Assembly Speaker. "Particularly amid a difficult international situation, the importance of trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the United States and Japan is growing," he said. "Given that Speaker Cho maintains deep ties with the United States as well, I trust he will provide strong support for that trilateral cooperation."
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