ALBERTA, June 29 (TNF): South Korea’s President Lee Jae-myung and Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba met on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Alberta earlier this month. They pledged to strengthen ties between their countries. Both leaders said cooperation, including with the United States, is essential in today’s world.
Prime Minister Ishiba told the media that working together with South Korea and the U.S. has become even more important given current strategic challenges. President Lee agreed. He said South Korea and Japan are like neighbors who share a front yard. Both leaders joined the G7 summit as representatives of non-member nations. The group’s permanent members include Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the U.K., and the U.S.
Lee and Ishiba discussed ways to boost three-way cooperation with Washington. They focused on dealing with North Korea’s nuclear threat and managing tensions linked to China’s growing influence. Lee said stronger ties with Japan would help both countries. He called for relations to move forward in a positive direction. He also promised to maintain security partnerships with Japan and the U.S.
The summit included the first joint air drill under Lee’s leadership. South Korean, Japanese, and U.S. aircraft took part in the exercise near Jeju Island. This was Lee’s first appearance at an international event since taking office in June. At the summit, he also met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They agreed to deepen strategic ties and boost South Korean investment in India.
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