SEOUL: Tokyo and Seoul have held a meeting of senior national security officials ahead of Japanese Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio’s two-day visit to South Korea from Sunday.

Takeo Akiba, secretary-general of Japan’s National Security Secretariat, met with South Korean national security adviser Cho Tae-yong in South Korea on Wednesday.

The two officials agreed that their countries will take concrete action to enhance their cooperation not only in national security but also in the areas of economy and people-to-people exchanges.

Akiba and Cho welcomed the two countries’ agreement to resume their so-called shuttle diplomacy between their leaders and confirmed the importance of cooperation to deal with North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile development programs and its abductions of Japanese nationals decades ago.

Also on Wednesday, Japan and South Korea held the first meeting of their economic security consultative body set up in line with an agreement at a bilateral summit in March.

The two sides exchanged views on supply chain stabilization and vital technologies while discussing economic intimidation apparently with China in mind.

Akiba also met with President Yoon Suk-yeol.

Yoon expressed hope that the two countries’ cooperation will spread from security to the areas of industry and science and technology. He also showed his eagerness to boost exchanges of students and other young people between the two countries.

Akiba conveyed to Yoon Kishida’s message that he decided to visit South Korea as he highly evaluates Yoon’s resolve to improve the two countries’ relations, according to the South Korean presidential office.

JIJI Press