JAPAN-Leaders Pledge Strong Relations Even After Kishida Departure

In the final meeting between South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and Japanese PM Fumio Kishida while both are in office, the two leaders sought to portray a united front, and insist that the improvement in relations between the two countries seen under the two men would continue no matter the identity of Kishida's successor. Kishida said that whoever becomes the next Japanese PM the 'importance of relations with South Korea will never change'.

• Bilateral relations have reached their highest point in many years, with the two resuming the 'shuttle diplomacy' that has seen the two leaders meet 12 times in two years. The US has sought to foster this cooperation, including via the first trilateral summit between Yoon, Kishida, and Joe Biden at Camp David in 2023.
• For the US stronger relations between two of its closest allies in Asia has come as a major security boon, making the holding of joint military exercises an easier prospect and improving efforts to counter North Korean missile launches.
• The leaders signed a memorandum of understanding on the issue of rescuing citizens from disaster and conflict zones and protecting one another's nationals in third-country emergencies.
• Both say that Japan and South Korea 'will maintain readiness so that North Korea cannot hide behind Russia and maintain its provocations.'