SEOUL: Japanese Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio said Monday that he is eager to develop trust with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and work with him to open a new era for the two countries.

“We had very meaningful conversations,” Kishida told reporters in Seoul, referring to the previous day’s bilateral summit with the president. “We deepened our trust with each other.”

Ahead of a Group of Seven summit in the western Japan city of Hiroshima from May 19, meanwhile, the Japanese leader said, “We must put an end to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as soon as possible.”

Kishida, who will chair the G7 summit, noted that he intends to use the summit as an opportunity to reaffirm the continuation of sanctions against Russia and support for Ukraine.

He also reiterated his eagerness to revive momentum toward a world without nuclear weapons, which is his lifelong goal.

At a meeting earlier on Monday with South Korean lawmakers from a bipartisan group for the promotion of South Korea-Japan relations, Kishida described the group as a foundation of the bilateral relations and appreciated it for serving as a bridge between the two countries. He called for active exchanges between the two countries’ lawmakers.

Kishida also had talks with South Korean business officials the same day.

In Tokyo, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told a press conference Tuesday that Kishida’s current visit to South Korea restarts in earnest “shuttle diplomacy,” or reciprocal visits by the two countries’ leaders.

“We confirmed that (Japan and South Korea) are on track to mend fences,” the top Japanese government spokesman said.

JIJI Press