Yoon, Ishiba discuss cooperation on N. Korea in 1st phone talks

President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japan’s new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba held their first phone conversation Wednesday to discuss bilateral ties and cooperation on countering threats posed by North Korea, Yoon’s office said.

During the call, Yoon and Ishiba agreed to work on enhancing both bilateral cooperation and trilateral collaboration involving the United States to address North Korean issues.

“The leaders agreed on the need for South Korea, Japan and the United States to make joint efforts in responding to North Korea’s continued provocations,” the presidential office said in a release.

“They also agreed to continue cooperating on North Korean human rights issues, such as the abduction of Japanese citizens, South Korean abductees, detainees and prisoners of war,” it added.

Yoon said the two countries are “important neighbors and partners” that share values and interests, and expressed hope for further improving ties as Seoul and Tokyo mark the 60th anniversary of normalizing their diplomatic relations next year, according to the office.

They also agreed to continue their regular “shuttle diplomacy” and meet at the earliest opportunity for candid discussions on bilateral relations and other shared concerns, it added.

Bilateral ties have significantly improved after Yoon decided last year to resolve the long-running row over Japan’s wartime mobilization of Koreans for forced labor by compensating victims without asking Japanese firms for contributions.

Yoon and Ishiba’s predecessor, Fumio Kishida, have since restored the long-suspended shuttle diplomacy of visiting each other whenever necessary and held 12 summits over the last two years.