Home > National > Diplomacy

Korea-Japan foreign ministers to meet in Seoul as political turmoil continues

Published: 10 Jan. 2025, 11:42 Updated: 12 Jan. 2025, 16:38

SEO JI-EUN
[email protected]

Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, right, and his Japanese counterpart Takeshi Iwaya shake hands at a meeting held on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Ministerial Meeting in Lima, Peru, on Nov. 15, 2024. [MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS]

A Korea-Japan bilateral foreign ministers’ meeting will take place in Seoul next Monday afternoon, Seoul's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Friday.

Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul is set to host his Japanese counterpart, Takeshi Iwaya, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in central Seoul. Iwaya is reportedly scheduled to arrive in Seoul on Monday for a two-day visit, marking his first official trip to Korea since assuming office in October last year. The ministers will hold a press conference following their meeting.

The meeting will primarily focus on preparations for events commemorating the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two nations this year, as well as fostering stable ties.

The talks come as Korea navigates a period of political turmoil following the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol, with the government striving to ease domestic and international concerns over the leadership vacuum by engaging in high-level discussions with key partners.

Earlier this week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Seoul on Jan. 7, meeting acting President and Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok and holding a Korea-U.S. foreign ministers’ meeting with Cho.

Iwaya's visit marks the second major foreign delegation to Seoul since Yoon's impeachment.

In a phone call on Dec. 11, the two ministers reaffirmed the importance of Korea-Japan relations amid Yoon's short-lived declaration of martial law and political instability.

The Korea-Japan foreign ministers' meeting is also expected to emphasize the importance of both bilateral and trilateral cooperation, with the United States, to address North Korea’s provocations and its growing military ties with Russia.

With U.S. President-elect Donald Trump set to take office on Jan. 20, the foreign ministers are also likely to discuss strategies for managing uncertainties associated with the incoming administration’s policies.

Cho and Iwaya last met on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministerial Meeting in Lima, Peru, in November 2024.

BY SEO JI-EUN [[email protected]]