Kono, Kang Meet amid Heightened Tensions

August 21, 2019

Beijing- Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono and South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha on Wednesday held their first meeting since tensions between their countries escalated into a tit-for-tat trade conflict.

At the meeting, Kono requested that Seoul present measures to resolve the issue of wartime labor, over which the South Korean Supreme Court has ordered Japanese companies to pay compensation to South Korean plaintiffs.

The two sides "share a recognition that (bilateral) issues must be resolved," Kono said.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of a trilateral gathering that also included their Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, in a Beijing suburb earlier in the day.

The Kono-Kang meeting was the first since the Japanese government decided on Aug. 2 to remove South Korea from its list of trusted trade partners qualified for simplified procedures. On Aug. 12, the South Korean government announced a similar measure against Japan.

Kono is believed to have urged South Korea not to let the bilateral military information-sharing pact expire. Jiji Press