S. Korean leader holds 1st phone call with Japanese PM, marking 2nd phone conversation with world leader after Trump

President Lee held his first phone call with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba since taking office.

According to the Presidential Office, the two leaders agreed to work together toward building a strong and stable relationship between Korea and Japan.

Our foreign affairs correspondent Oh Soo-young reports.

Agreeing on continued cooperation bilaterally and trilaterally with the United States, the leaders of South Korea and Japan held their first phone call since the Lee Jae-myung administration took office last week.

According to Seoul's top office, President Lee Jae-myung and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba spoke on the phone for around 25 minutes on Monday, marking Lee's second phone call with a foreign leader following his conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Given the importance of Korea-Japan relations amid the current strategic environment, the leaders agreed on the need to build a "strong and mature" bilateral relationship, based on a responsible approach.

Lee conveyed his hope that the two neighbours will seek ways to cooperate on future challenges in a mutually beneficial manner, grounded in their respective national interests.

The two leaders further agreed to strengthen efforts to respond to various geopolitical challenges through the framework of trilateral cooperation with the United States.

When asked by reporters whether historical issues related to Japan's colonisation of Korea and its wartime atrocities were raised during the conversation, a presidential official said that the leaders' dialogue remained within the bounds of customary diplomatic protocol.

Throughout his campaign and since taking office, the President has consistently emphasised a "two-track" strategy of addressing historical issues based on principles, while promoting practical cooperation in economic and security matters.

The Japanese PM's office noted that Ishiba expressed his intent to work closely together in responding to North Korea, including the issue of Pyongyang's abductions of Japanese citizens.

In light of the 60th anniversary of the normalisation of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the two leaders also discussed the importance of enhancing communication between their governments and promoting active people-to-people exchanges.

The two leaders plan to meet in person in the future for in-depth discussions on bilateral ties and other issues of mutual interest.

Observers believe the face-to-face occasion could come as early as this weekend on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Canada.

Oh Soo-young, Arirang News.