Sept. 30 (UPI) — Political leaders in Japan and South Korea on Tuesday agreed to cooperate on matters affecting both nations during a summit meeting in Busan, South Korea, on Tuesday.
Those matters include security, aging populations, economic growth and depending on other nations for agricultural goods, The Korea Herald reported.
The 75-minute meeting between Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung started at 4:50 p.m. local time and addressed matters affecting both nations, according to Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“I expect the ties between South Korea and Japan to become very close,” Lee said afterward. “I expect today’s summit to lay a cornerstone for rebranded Korea-Japan relations.”
Lee and Shigeru agreed to coordinate a joint body with which leaders from both nations could consult and move forward on important matters, according to The Korea Times.
They also agreed to continue pursuing complete denuclearization in the Korean Peninsula amid North Korea’s efforts to become a nuclear power and ensure lasting peace.
The two leaders also discussed plans to jointly establish an Arctic shipping trade route and agreed to mutually respond to changes in global trade, The Chosun Daily reported.
Tuesday’s summit occurred after South Korean and Japanese leaders met in Tokyo in August amid China’s growing economic and other activities in the region.
The meeting was the third between Lee and Shigeru, who referred to their diplomatic efforts as “shuttle diplomacy” to advance their nations’ common interests.