South Korea’s envoy urges stable security cooperation with Japan
Ambassador Lee Hyuk says Seoul and Tokyo should deepen security and economic ties as geopolitical risks intensify across East Asia.
- South Korea's Ambassador to Japan, Lee Hyuk, emphasized the need for stable security cooperation between the two countries due to an increasingly uncertain international situation.
- This call for cooperation is driven by specific regional threats, including the US-China rivalry, North Korea's nuclear program, and China's growing military power.
- The ambassador stressed that now is a critical time for Seoul and Tokyo to cooperate, citing the possibility of changes in their respective relationships with the United States.
- While urging cooperation, the envoy also stated that Japan's own defense policies should be pursued in a way that contributes to regional peace and adheres to its pacifist Constitution.
South Korea's Ambassador to Japan, Lee Hyuk, on Monday emphasised the need for stable security cooperation between the two East Asian neighbours.
At an event hosted by the Research Institute of Japan, a Jiji Press affiliate, in Tokyo, Lee said that South Korea and Japan need to promote stable and innovative exchanges and cooperation in the area of security amid an increasingly uncertain international situation.
The world is in the most precarious situation since the Cold War, Lee said, apparently keeping in mind the strategic rivalry between the United States and China, the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran, and North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.
Noting that the Japan-South Korea relationship is very good at the moment, the ambassador said it is desirable that the ties between South Korea and Japan are starting to become closer in light of the current difficult strategic environment.
Meanwhile, he warned that China, with its rapidly growing military and economic power, is becoming a significant force that could alter the order in East Asia.
Citing the possibility of South Korea and Japan seeing changes in their respective relations with the United States, Lee stressed that now is an important time for Seoul and Tokyo to hold talks, conduct exchanges and cooperate as neighbours.
Regarding Japan's efforts to strengthen its defence capabilities, Lee said Japan's defence and security policies should be pursued in a way that contributes to regional peace and security as the country firmly adheres to the spirit of its pacifist Constitution.
He also highlighted the need for deeper economic cooperation between the two countries, revealing that the South Korean government is seriously considering the possibility of concluding a bilateral free trade agreement and joining the Japan-led Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Still, Lee said such moves would require the creation of a favourable environment in his country.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
