Korea asks China to become ‘bastion of peace’ in UN, raises Line issue with Japan

Diplomacy

Published: 26 May. 2024, 19:13 Updated: 26 May. 2024, 22:42

Korea asks China to become ‘bastion of peace’ in UN, raises Line issue with Japan

Top: President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, and Chinese Premier Li Qiang, right, hold a bilateral meeting at the Yongsan presidential office in central Seoul on Sunday, ahead of a trilateral summit with Japan Monday. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

President Yoon Suk Yeol stressed the importance of cooperation between Seoul and Beijing, not only for the development of the two countries' relations, but "for the sake of the peace and prosperity of the international community" in bilateral talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Seoul Sunday.

Yoon on Sunday afternoon held separate back-to-back talks with Li and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the Yongsan presidential office ahead of the three countries' first trilateral summit in four years and five months on Monday.

He urged China to become a "bastion of peace as a permanent member of the UN Security Council," according to a senior presidential official after the talks, requesting Beijing to play a more assertive role in regional security issues. This comes amid Pyongyang's nuclear and missile increased threats and suspected military cooperation between North and Russia.

"Just as South Korea and China have overcome various difficulties together and contributed to each other's development and growth over the past 30 years, we hope to continue to strengthen cooperation between the two countries, even amid today's global complex crises," Yoon told Li in his opening remarks at their bilateral summit, flanked by their aides.

He noted that "the common challenges facing South Korea and China in the international community are serious," citing Russia's war on Ukraine and the Israeli-Hamas conflict, which are contributing to "uncertainty in the global economy."

Yoon said that minister-level dialogues have recently resumed in various sectors between South Korea and China, and that exchanges between local governments are also becoming active.

"I hope that the two countries will continue to strengthen exchanges and cooperation, and pursue common interests while respecting one another," Yoon said.

"China and South Korea have always maintained mutual respect and have continuously deepened our friendship and mutual trust through equal dialogue and sincere communication," Li said to Yoon. "China wants to work together with Korea to become trustworthy, good neighbors and partners who support each other to succeed."

Li pointed to the achievements in the development of relations in the past 30 years, especially in economy and trade, expressing hopes to continue to work together for a "mutually beneficial" and "win-win" cooperation for shared development and prosperity.

The two sides also agreed to resume negotiations for the second phase of the Korea-China FTA, according to the presidential office. The resumption of negotiations comes after the first phase, which took effect in December 2015, removed major tariffs, and will seek to expand to the cultural, tourism and legal sectors.

Seoul and Beijing agreed to establish a diplomatic and security dialogue, Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo said in a press briefing, and hold the first meeting in mid-June.

The so-called two-plus-two meeting involve senior officials from the two countries' foreign and defense ministries.

The two sides agreed to launch a bilateral export control dialogue.

They will also resume convening an investment cooperation committee, a ministerial consultative body that has been suspended for the past 13 years.

This is a part of efforts to strengthen cooperation in trade and investment and in supply chains of key industries.

President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, right, hold a bilateral meeting at the Yongsan presidential office in central Seoul later Sunday. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

Later on in the afternoon, Yoon and Kishida in their bilateral talks highlighted the progress made in Korea and Japan's ties over the past year.

"Based on the solid trust between us, exchanges at all levels have greatly improved over the past year," Yoon said, noting "all intergovernmental agreements have been restored" and that high-level exchanges are happening in the finance, industry and advanced technology sectors.

Yoon expressed hopes to work together with Kishida "to prepare for a historic turning point that will further advance Korea-Japan relations next year," to mark the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations.

He highlighted that some 3 million people have traveled between the two countries in the first quarter of this year and that the number is expected to exceed the record set in 2018 of 10.51 million people by the end of this year.

Kishida in turn expressed hopes for cooperation between Seoul and Tokyo to be "further strengthened to maintain and strengthen a free and open Indo-Pacific and effectively respond to global challenges."

He likewise said he has been communicating closely with Yoon through meetings and phone calls, and called to "continue shuttle diplomacy in the future based on such trust between the leaders" of the two countries.

During the talks with Kishida, Yoon also raised concerns over Japan's directive for Korea's largest portal, Naver, to reduce its stake in the messaging app Line.

He noted that the matter "needs to be managed so that it does not become an unnecessary issue between the two countries in the future," according to a presidential official.

Yoon said he understands Japan's move "is not a demand for Naver to sell its shares" and that he recognizes it as a "matter separate from bilateral diplomatic relations," according to the official.

Kishida said that Japanese government issued the directive on Line following data leaks to review security governance, the official said, adding the two sides agreed to closely communicate on this matter.

Earlier Sunday, Kishida and Li arrived in Seoul for a two-day visit to take part in the first summit among the three Northeast Asian countries since talks held in China's Chengdu in December 2019.

The trilateral gathering faced a hiatus during the Covid-19 pandemic and amid strained ties between Seoul and Tokyo over historical disputes and a trade spat.

The Chinese premier traditionally takes part in the trilateral gathering, rather than the president, and this marks Li's first visit to Korea since taking office in March 2023.

Yoon and Li held their first talks on the sidelines of Asean-related meetings in Jakarta, Indonesia, in September last year.

The last time a Chinese premier visited the country was in November 2015, when former Premier Li Keqiang visited the country for the sixth trilateral summit.

Yoon and Kishida met for the first time this year after a series of meetings held last year after their breakthrough summit in Tokyo March 2023, which led to the normalization of bilateral relations which strained in recent years and the resumption of shuttle diplomacy between the two countries' leaders after 12 years. Kishida last visited Seoul for a bilateral summit in May 2023.

The two sides agreed to normalize relations after the Yoon administration in March last year announced plans to compensate Korean victims of Japanese wartime forced labor through a Korea-backed public foundation, without requiring contributions from the involved Japanese companies.

The Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) raised 1 billion won ($731,000) and the Japan Business Federation contributed 100 million yen ($637,000) to this fund, according to the presidential office Sunday.

This week, the Japanese side invested an additional 200 million yen to the fund, and the FKI will also increase its contributions to promote youth exchanges between the two countries.

Pottery by artists from Korea, Japan and China are on display at a welcome banquet for the 9th trilateral summit held at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Jongno District, central Seoul on Sunday. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

The three leaders took part in a dinner banquet later Sunday at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in central Seoul.

"I hope that through this summit, the leaders of the three countries will be able to meet, communicate and cooperate on a consistent basis every year," Yoon said in his welcoming remarks at the banquet.

"Young people from the three countries like K-pop from Korea, animation from Japan and pandas from China, and are already actively interacting with each other," Yoon said, encouraging the cooperation among youths of the three countries to mature their relations.

Artists from Korea, Japan and China participated in the dinner event, which focused on exchanges and harmony between the three countries. This included the display of pottery from the three countries.

A choir composed of 21 children from Korea, Japan and China sang folk songs and performances of traditional instruments and contemporary music were also played throughout the evening.

Yoon, Kishida and Li will hold a trilateral summit, the ninth of its kind, on Monday and are expected to issue a joint declaration afterward.

They will also attend a business forum together later Monday.

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]