(Update 2) Ishiba, Lee Vow to Promote Forward-Looking Japan-S. Korea Ties

   Tokyo, Aug. 23 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung on Saturday agreed to promote relations between the two countries in a stable and forward-looking manner by building on the foundations developed since the normalization of their diplomatic ties 60 years ago.
   In their meeting at the Japanese prime minister's office in Tokyo, Ishiba said he upholds previous Japanese cabinets' recognition of history, including a 1998 Japan-South Korea joint declaration that included Tokyo's remorse and apology over Japan's wartime colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.
   "I hope we can move forward toward a better future hand in hand," Ishiba said at a joint press conference after the meeting. Lee said he hopes that his visit to Japan will be the beginning of a journey to build up true trust between the people of the two countries.
   Ishiba and Lee welcomed the resumption of "shuttle diplomacy" between Japan and South Korea, or mutual trips by their leaders to each other's country.
   The two leaders agreed that Japan, the United States and South Korea will promote their three-way collaboration to counter military threats from China and an alliance between North Korea and Russia.

(2025/08/23-22:19)

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