Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said, "At this point, nothing has been decided" about the possibility of an official Korea-Japan summit meeting in the future.
Prime Minister Kishida, who is visiting New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly, said at a press conference about the possibility of holding an official meeting with President Yoon Seok-yeol, whom he met briefly the day before.
Prime Minister Kishida added, "We will return the Korea-Japan relationship to a healthy one, and continue to communicate with the South Korean side based on the consistent position of the Japanese government."
Prime Minister Kishida's remarks today appear to have reflected some public opinion in Japan that South Korea must first resolve the issue of compensation for forced labor, one of the biggest issues in bilateral relations, in order to hold an official meeting.
In this regard, the presidential office said after the meeting in New York the day before, "The two leaders shared the need to improve bilateral relations by resolving pending issues. I have revealed.
Prime Minister Kishida reaffirmed his intention to hold a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, which marks the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties this year.
Prime Minister Kishida announced that he would abolish the upper limit on the number of foreigners entering the country in one day, which was introduced after the COVID-19 outbreak from the 11th of next month.
He also said he would resume visa-free entry for foreign tourists and allow individual tours rather than group tours.
(Photo = Getty Images Korea)