U.S. welcomes S. Korea-Japan summit, will work with both allies to promote rule-of-law: State Dept.

By Byun Duk-kun

WASHINGTON, May 8 (Yonhap) -- The United States welcomes the summit held over the weekend between South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and will continue to work with both allies to promote peace and prosperity in the region, a state department spokesperson said Monday.

Yoon and Kishida met in Seoul on Sunday (Korea time), the first day of the Japanese leader's two-day trip to South Korea. Kishida is the first Japanese prime minister to visit Seoul solely for a bilateral summit in 12 years.

"What I will say is that we welcomed the news from this past week that the Japan-ROK summit took place, and we commend Prime Minister Kishida and President Yoon for their leadership," state department deputy spokesperson said when asked about South Korea-Japan relations, referring to South Korea by its official name, the Republic of Korea.

The Yoon-Kishida summit came amid a thaw in Seoul-Tokyo relations following Seoul's decision to set up a private fund to compensate Korean victims of forced labor during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of Korea.

Yoon had also traveled to Tokyo in March to hold a bilateral summit with Kishida, marking the first such trip by a South Korean head of state to Japan in 12 years.

"This is an important new chapter and a new beginning for our alliance partners and an example of real leadership," Patel told the press briefing.

"This produced new momentum between like-minded countries that respect rule of law and are equally committed and share our commitment to advancing peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, and we will continue to work with, through the alliance with the ROK and Japan and other partners to advance these interests. as well," he added.

bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)