S. Korea expresses regret over 'distorted' reports on Yoon-Kishida summit

By Lee Haye-ah

SEOUL, March 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has expressed regret to Japan over a series of "distorted" reports on last week's summit between President Yoon Suk Yeol and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and asked that such reports not be repeated, a presidential official said Monday.

Japan's Sankei Shimbun reported the same day that Kishida asked Yoon to faithfully implement a 2015 agreement on the issue of Korean women forced into sexual slavery for Japanese troops during World War II, as well as the lifting of restrictions on imports of seafood from Fukushima.

Other Japanese news outlets carried similar reports last week, saying the issues of the "comfort women" and South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo, which Japan has repeatedly laid claim to, were raised during the summit.

"With regard to the completely groundless or distorted reports coming out of Japan after the summit, I understand that our diplomatic authorities have expressed regret and asked for a prevention of a recurrence," the presidential official told reporters.

On whether the import restrictions were discussed, the official said he cannot disclose the details of the summit discussions.

He noted, however, that the subject was brought up by Japanese lawmakers during a separate meeting they had with Yoon.

On the issues of the comfort women and Dokdo, the official repeated Seoul's previous statement that neither topic was discussed during the summit.

hague@yna.co.kr
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