Seoul: President Lee Jae-myung highlighted the importance of maintaining policy coherence in South Korea's relations with Japan during a press conference on Wednesday. Lee, who officially assumed office earlier in the day, was questioned about whether he would continue the previous administration's approach to the contentious wartime forced labor compensation issue, which had helped to ease tensions between Seoul and Tokyo under former President Yoon Suk Yeol.
According to Yonhap News Agency, bilateral relations improved notably following Yoon's 2023 decision to offer compensation to Korean victims of Japan's wartime forced labor without requiring direct contributions from the Japanese entities involved. Lee acknowledged the ongoing disputes over historical issues and Japan's territorial claims to South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo, but he emphasized the necessity for practical cooperation between the two nations.
Lee expressed a desire to identify areas for mutual benefit in fields such as the economy, security, technology, and cultural exchanges. He stressed that this approach could pave the way for friendly relations and shared prosperity. "We can identify mutually beneficial areas in the economy, security, technology, and cultural exchanges. Through this, we can pursue friendly relations and shared prosperity," Lee stated.
He also expressed a hope for the two countries to collaborate where feasible and to address their differences as necessary, without conflating current issues. In his inaugural address, Lee committed to enhancing the trilateral partnership with the United States and Japan, marking a departure from his previous critical position towards Tokyo during his time as the liberal opposition leader.