Seoul: Japanese Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi is set to visit South Korea later this week to participate in an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) ministerial meeting and engage in bilateral discussions between South Korea and Japan, the South Korean foreign ministry announced on Friday. Koizumi's three-day trip will commence on Saturday, culminating in a meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun on Monday, the ministry detailed.
According to Yonhap News Agency, it is unusual for a foreign minister to meet with the head of a different ministry from another country in the absence of immediate issues requiring attention. Koizumi, a prominent figure in Japanese politics and the son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, is viewed as a prospective candidate to succeed Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. Ishiba's support has dwindled following the Liberal Democratic Party's setback in the recent upper house elections.
Koizumi's visit aligns with the Lee Jae Myung administration's efforts to sustain and enhance the positive momentum in bilateral relations with Japan. In a notable gesture, Cho made Japan his first international destination as South Korea's top diplomat, diverging from the tradition of prioritizing visits to the United States.
A foreign ministry official emphasized, "We are seeking to have various high-level exchanges to establish more solid and mature Korea-Japan relations, and the upcoming meeting (between Cho and Koizumi) is part of these efforts." Relations between Seoul and Tokyo have significantly improved under the previous Yoon Suk Yeol administration, with a resurgence in high-level diplomatic engagements, including interactions at the leaders' level.