South Korean President Lee, Japan's Ishiba Agree To Cooperate On Shared Social Challenges

(MENAFN- IANS) Busan, Sep 30 (IANS) South Korean President Lee Jae Myung held summit talks on Tuesday with outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in the southeastern city of Busan and agreed to cooperate to tackle shared challenges such as low birth rates and an aging population.

The meeting came about a month after Lee's visit to Tokyo, during which Lee suggested holding their next meeting in South Korea outside of Seoul.

In their third summit talks, Lee expressed hope that the two Asian neighbours could work together to tackle shared social challenges, such as overconcentration in the capital region, and that their leaders meet frequently to establish "shuttle diplomacy," Yonhap News Agency reported.

"I hope that the two countries can build a very close relationship that goes beyond relatable social issues to encompass economic and security issues, and even emotional understanding," Lee said in his opening remarks. "I also hope today's summit will serve as a cornerstone for creating a new chapter in Korea-Japan relations."

Ishiba, who announced his resignation earlier this month, said it was meaningful to conclude his final diplomatic engagement as prime minister with a summit with Lee.

"I hope that Korea and Japan can work closely together, maintain frequent exchanges and achieve tangible outcomes of shuttle diplomacy," he said through a translator.

He also expressed hope that the two countries would share experiences to tackle common challenges such as population decline, low birth rates and overconcentration in the capital region as well as low self-sufficiency in agriculture and energy. He further suggested resuming the bilateral Science and Technology Cooperation Committee.

Before the summit, Ishiba paid tribute at the grave of Lee Soo-hyun, a South Korean student remembered as a symbol of friendly bilateral relations for his selfless attempt to save a Japanese man.

It marked the first time a sitting Japanese prime minister visited the grave of the late student who died at the age of 26 trying to rescue a Japanese man who had fallen onto subway tracks in Tokyo in 2001.

It marks their third meeting after talks on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in Canada in June and Lee's visit to Tokyo in August.

Ishiba's trip will be his first to South Korea since taking office in October last year and the first visit by a Japanese prime minister to a South Korean city other than Seoul in 21 years.

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