Japan, S.Korea leaders to meet for first time in 3 years in Cambodia

Japan’s Prime Minister Kishida Fumio is expected to meet South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol in Cambodia on Sunday.

On Saturday, Kishida started an 8-day tour of Southeast Asian nations to attend international conferences.

In Cambodia, the first leg of his trip, Kishida is set to hold summit talks with Yoon separately from a trilateral meeting of Japan, US, and South Korea on Sunday.

The formal talks between the Japanese and South Korean leaders will be the first in about three years. The last such meeting was in December 2019.

Under the administration of Yoon’s predecessor, relations between the two countries had deteriorated to what some described as their worst level since the end of World War Two over wartime labor and other issues.

But the new administration has expressed willingness to improve bilateral ties since Yoon took office in May. Top diplomats from both countries are holding dialogues.

Kishida and Yoon are expected to exchange views on pending issues between the two countries.

Kishida wants to reaffirm Japan-South Korea cooperation in responding to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats and in resolving the issue of Japanese citizens abducted by the North.