The first official bilateral meeting between the leaders of the two nations in more than 12 years took place on Thursday when South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met in Tokyo. Following the meeting, the two countries decided to resume their “shuttle diplomacy” while also declaring a loosening of trade restrictions.
Kishida told reporters, “We agreed on the resumption of shuttle diplomacy by leaders of Japan and South Korea, regardless of the nature of the trips.
According to Japanese media, Kishida might invite Yoon to the G7 summit in Hiroshima in May and then pay Yoon a visit in return in Seoul.
Meanwhile, Tokyo’s trade ministry announced it will restore the status quo after restricting exports to South Korea, nearly four years ago. Under the restriction, S Korea could not get its hands on key materials needed for building semiconductors.
The thaw in the relationship is a welcome change after over 100 years of hostility kept the two nations at bay. The Japanese occupation of the Korean peninsula for over 35 years was the primary reason for the distance in communication.
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