Japan, South Korea must cooperate to counter North Korea, says Yoshihide Suga

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said that he stressed the importance of cooperation with Seoul, during a telephonic conversation with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, to counter any threat from Pyongyang. Suga told a press conference that the leaders talked about several issues including the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and strained bilateral ties.

“I told President Moon that we cannot leave our current very difficult relations where they are now,” Suga said after the telephone call.

Japan-South Korea relations have deteriorated sharply over war-time history, especially on the issue of Korean labourers who were forced to work in Japanese during colonial rule. Suga said that he would “continue to firmly seek appropriate action from South Korea”. The two leaders talked for the first time after Suga’s inauguration as Japan’s new Prime Minister.

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Talks with UN chief

The Japanese PM also held a telephonic conversation with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on September 24 and exchanged their views on ways to address COVID-19. According to Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Suga asked for understanding and cooperation towards the early resolution of the North Korean abductions issue.

The ministry said in a statement that the UN chief extended his full support and also emphasised the importance of promoting denuclearisation. According to the ministry, both sides agreed that they would cooperate in a wide range of areas, including peacebuilding, development and climate change.

“Secretary-General Guterres reiterated his appreciation to the international contributions made by Japan to address COVID-19. Moreover, they agreed to collaborate towards increasing the number of Japanese senior staff members working in the UN,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, Japan, India, Australia and the United States are reportedly planning to hold a meeting of their foreign ministers in Tokyo in early October. It will be the first cabinet-level meeting in Japan since March after the coronavirus outbreak. Japanese foreign affairs chief Toshimitsu Motegi, US State Secretary Mike Pompeo, Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar, and Australian foreign minister Marise Payne will hold QUAD security dialogue.

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(Image: AP)