Seoul: President Lee Jae Myung said Friday he would pursue "forward-looking, mutually beneficial cooperation" with Japan through active "shuttle diplomacy" while expressing hope that Japan will squarely face up to its history of wartime aggression.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee made the remarks in his speech marking the 80th anniversary of the Korean Peninsula's liberation from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule as he was set to visit Tokyo for summit talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba later this month shortly before a planned summit with U.S. President Donald Trump.
"Guided by the principle of pragmatic, national interest-focused diplomacy, we will seek forward-looking, mutually beneficial cooperation with Japan while holding frequent meetings and frank dialogues through shuttle diplomacy," Lee said.
Marking also the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations, Lee said Seoul and Tokyo should face their painful history and redefine bilateral ties to move forward, describing Japan as "a neighbor across the sea" and "an indispensable partner" in economic development.
"I hope that the Japanese government will squarely face up to our painful history and strive to maintain trust between our two countries," he said.
Lee's two-day visit to Japan on Aug. 23-24 will be an opportunity to deepen personal ties with Ishiba and discuss ways to strengthen trilateral cooperation with the United States, as well as discuss regional peace and stability, the presidential office said.