PHNOM PENH: Japanese Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol agreed Sunday that the two countries will resolve a dispute over wartime labor at an early date.

Kishida and Yoon, meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on the sidelines of regional summits, reaffirmed their countries’ cooperation to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific in an apparent effort to counter China’s growing assertiveness.

The two leaders also agreed to reinforce cooperation between Japan and South Korea to address North Korea’s military provocations, including a recent series of missile launches.

The meeting marked the first formal summit between Japan and South Korea since Yoon took office in May. Japanese and South Korean leaders previously held a summit meeting three years ago.

Japan had previously taken the position that South Korea needed to resolve the wartime labor issue before a formal summit is held. Kishida and Yoon met in New York in September, but Tokyo described the 30-minute meeting as informal conversations.

But Japan found it necessary to hold a formal summit to display the strength of security cooperation between Tokyo and Seoul to deter Pyongyang’s provocations.

JIJI PRESS