SEOUL: South Korea and Japan have agreed to enhance their economic collaboration, marking the resumption of high-level economic talks after nearly eight years. The agreement, reached during a dialogue led by Kang Jae-kwon, South Korea’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Affairs, and Keiichi Ono, Japan’s Senior Deputy Foreign Minister, signals a thaw in bilateral relations.
According to Seoul’s Foreign Ministry, both countries committed to strengthening communication and cooperation to secure new markets, stabilize supply chains, and enhance collaboration in core and emerging technologies. They also agreed to work closely on multilateral platforms, such as the World Trade Organization, the Group of 20, and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. This cooperation aims to support the rules-based economic order and expand cooperation in areas like climate change and energy. The economic dialogue, initiated in 1999, was suspended in 2016 due to tensions over historical issues. However, a recent warming of ties, including South Korea’s proposal to resolve the forced labor issue independently, has led to the resumption of reciprocal visits by leaders and the revival of key diplomatic channels.