Japan’s new prime minister, Yoshihide Suga, spoke to South Korea’s president for the primary time on Thursday, calling for each nations to restore their frayed ties and cooperate to counter any menace from North Korea.
Relations between the 2 U.S. allies have deteriorated sharply over the previous yr over war-time historical past and commerce, specifically the problem of Korean laborers pressured to work at Japanese corporations throughout Japan’s 1910-1945 colonial rule.
“I advised President Moon that we can’t depart our present very tough relations the place they’re now,” Suga advised reporters after a phone name with South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in.
“Cooperation between Japan and South Korea, in addition to between Japan, the USA and South Korea, is essential to cope with North Korea and different points.”
Japan would “proceed to firmly search applicable motion from South Korea,” he mentioned. He didn’t elaborate.
South Korea had requested for the phone name, Japan mentioned.
Moon congratulated Suga and mentioned that Japan and South Korea want to search out the very best answer on the war-time pressured labor situation, mentioned Kang Min-seok, a spokesman of the South Korea’s presidential Blue Home.
Moon mentioned that South Korea and Japan are the closest mates who share fundamental values and strategic pursuits, in addition to a companion that ought to cooperate for peace and prosperity of the world and Northeast Asia.
The 2 leaders additionally welcomed scheduled talks on the particular entry process for important travels between the 2 nations and anticipated it could function a chance to renew private exchanges and enhance bilateral relations.
The ties between Seoul and Tokyo soured after South Korea’s Supreme Court docket ordered a Japanese steelmaker to pay compensation for pressured labor in 2018, which prompted Tokyo to impose export curbs on some key high-tech supplies.
In a letter to Suga final week, Moon had mentioned he was keen to sit down down any time to enhance ties.
Suga changed Shinzo Abe as prime minister final week.
(Reporting by Chang-Ran Kim in Tokyo, extra reporting by Sangmi Cha in Seoul. Enhancing by Shri Navaratnam and Michael Perry)