Japan, South Korea see thaw in ties as top diplomats meet

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – Japan and South Korea on Monday saw top diplomats holding first formal talks in years in a bid to set on track the bilateral relations hit by war-time issues.

Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi hosted his South Korean counterpart Park Jin in Tokyo for bilateral talks.

It is also the first formal attempt by new South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s administration to mend ties with Tokyo after he was inaugurated on May 10.

Last time, it was in November 2019 that the two sides held talks at the level of foreign ministers.

According to Japan’s Kyodo News, the two sides are expected to discuss issues related to Japan’s 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula, during which the report said “Koreans were forced to work as ‘comfort women’ in Japan's military brothels,” and compensation demands from South Koreans over wartime labor.

Before flying to Tokyo, Park had said: “I plan to convey that President Yoon Suk Yeol has strong willingness over improvement in the South Korea-Japan relationship.”

The two sides are also expected to deliberate reviving the operation of a bilateral military intelligence-sharing pact known as GSOMIA. The two countries are close allies of the US.

Bilateral relations worsened between Tokyo and Seoul during the administration of former South Korean President Moon Jae-in as the two sides launched rival tariffs on imports.

Park will stay in Japan through Wednesday and he is expected to call on Prime Minister Fumio Kishida as the foreign ministries also discuss arranging a summit between Kishida and Yoon.