President Lee holds first phone call with Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba...“Strengthening Korea-Japan Cooperation” [Comprehensive]

President Lee Jae-myung and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba had their first telephone conversation.

On the 9th, Japanese news agency Kyodo and other foreign sources reported, citing Japanese government officials, that President Lee and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba spoke by phone for the first time.

Since his inauguration, this marks President Lee's second phone call with a foreign head of state, following a conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump on the 6th.

Japanese TBS News reported that Prime Minister Ishiba expressed his intent to “invigorate Korea-Japan and Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation” during the call with President Lee. The outlet also mentioned that they are believed to have exchanged views on how to respond to the Trump administration’s tariff policies in the United States.

On the 4th, Prime Minister Ishiba commented on President Lee's election by saying, “I respect the decision of the Korean people, the result of Korean democracy,” and added, “Japan truly wishes to actively engage and strengthen ties with Korea, including civil exchanges.”

He has consistently emphasized the importance of Korea-Japan cooperation, and after December last year’s impeachment crisis, stated, “The importance of bilateral relations does not change under the current strategic environment.”

Reporter Park Surim, Hankyung.com paksr365@hankyung.com