Lee thanks Japan's prime minister for participating in event marking 60 years of ties

President Lee Jae Myung has sent a letter to Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to express his gratitude for his participation in an event commemorating the 60th anniversary of the normalization of bilateral diplomatic ties, a presidential official said Tuesday.

Ishiba attended a ceremony hosted by the Korean Embassy in Tokyo on June 19, where he underscored the need to maintain close communication to advance the bilateral relationship and address shared challenges.

A few days later, Lee conveyed his appreciation in a letter, according to a presidential official.

“The leaders of Korea and Japan are communicating closely in various ways to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations and to foster a friendly foundation for the future-oriented development of bilateral ties,” the official said. “The letter was also part of those ongoing efforts.”

Ishiba's participation highlighted the continued warming of bilateral relations that have significantly improved since March 2023 under Lee's conservative predecessor, Yoon Suk Yeol.

The two leaders held their first one-on-one talks in early June on the margins of the Group of 7 summit in Canada, where they pledged to deepen cooperation and further develop trilateral ties with the United States.

Yonhap