Japan's Takaichi calls South Korea 'important neighbor,' urges stronger trilateral ties

Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae described South Korea as an important neighbor with which Japan must work together on global challenges, calling for stronger bilateral and trilateral cooperation among South Korea, Japan and the United States.

According to the Yomiuri Shimbun and Kyodo News on Wednesday, Takaichi met with members of the Japan-Korea and Korea-Japan Cooperation Committees at the prime minister's official residence on Tuesday and said South Korea is "an important neighboring country that must cooperate as a partner on the various challenges facing the international community."

Takaichi expressed gratitude to the cooperation committees — which bring together business figures from both countries — for their contributions to expanding private-sector exchanges between Japan and South Korea. Takaichi then said, "As the importance of Japan-Korea relations grows, I hope to continue receiving your unwavering support," urging the members to sustain their cooperation.

The meeting was attended by Lee Dae-soon, the South Korean chair of the cooperation committees, as well as the Japanese chair, Liberal Democratic Party Vice President Aso Taro, and committee director Nakasone Hirofumi, a former foreign minister.

Lee said in response that he hoped "cooperation will advance to a higher level that goes beyond the bilateral relationship we have built so far and can lead the world."

The Japan-Korea and Korea-Japan Cooperation Committees, a private-sector exchange organization founded in 1969, held a joint meeting in Tokyo on Monday. The session with Takaichi reaffirmed the commitment to continuing people-to-people exchanges as the importance of bilateral cooperation grows.