President Yoon Suk Yeol is going to participate in the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan. It’s an opportunity to overcome the past disputes with Japan?
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol made his debut at the Group of Seven (G7) summit held in Hiroshima, Japan.
The summit is primarily focused on geopolitical challenges such as Russia’s war on Ukraine and China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea.
But the South Korean President Yoon had his own separate goal of improving ties between South Korea and Japan and addressing historical disputes.
President Yoon met with South Korean victims of the 1945 US atomic bombing of Hiroshima, during his visit. He became the first South Korean president to do this.
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This meeting symbolized his determination to improve bilateral ties and resolve historical issues between South Korea and Japan.
Korean President Yoon and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also planned to pay their respects at a memorial stone in the Peace Memorial Park which was dedicated to the Korean victims of the atomic bombing.
President Yoon engaged in a summit with Prime Minister Kishida, marking their third meeting in two months.
They discussed enhancing strategic cooperation and trilateral collaboration with the United States, focusing on addressing challenges such as North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats, regional supply chain instability, and energy crises.
The trilateral summit between South Korea, the US, and Japan, scheduled to take place on Sunday. This summit is aimed to strengthen security cooperation and build upon the progress made in sharing North Korean missile warning data in real time.
President Yoon also had separate bilateral summits with leaders from seven countries, including Japan, India, Australia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the United Kingdom, on the sidelines of the G7 summit.
These meetings further strengthened South Korea’s relationships with these nations and maximized its national interests in the evolving international order.
President Yoon’s attendance at the G7 summit served as an opportunity to strengthen international solidarity on various issues, including security, economy, and industry.
As the host country, Japan extended invitations to other nations beyond the G7, emphasizing the importance of upholding the international order based on the rule of law and strengthening outreach to the Global South.
President Yoon also delivered a speech at the extended session of the summit, addressing global issues such as food security, healthcare, the climate crisis, and energy development.
His speech reaffirmed South Korea’s leadership and its position as a “global pivotal state.”
President Yoon’s participation in the G7 summit demonstrated South Korea’s commitment to regional and global cooperation. Plus it also showcased its efforts to overcome historical disputes and strengthen bilateral relationships with Japan as well as other countries.
