Seoul, May 9 (IANS) Democratic Party (DP) presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung underscored Friday the need to maintain strong ties between South Korea and Japan, saying bilateral cooperation is vital to both the economy and security.
Lee made the remark in a written congratulatory message sent to a forum hosted by a DP lawmaker, as he has been bolstering his campaign for the June 3 election, buoyed by his growing lead in the polls, Yonhap news agency reported.
“South Korea and Japan are important partners that have long maintained a close cooperative partnership,” Lee said in the message at the event held to discuss Seoul’s relations with Tokyo.
“Continuing bilateral cooperation is vital from both the economic and security perspectives,” he said.
With Japan being the fourth-largest trading partner for South Korea, security cooperation between the two neighbors has served as the “foundation for the trilateral security partnership with the United States, which has contributed to ensuring peace in Northeast Asia and the prosperity of South Korea,” Lee said.
Lee called for enhancing bilateral relations with Japan through “meticulous and sophisticated diplomacy to advance national interest,” particularly at a time when South Korea is at a “pivotal moment of geopolitical transformation.”
That said, Lee also took note of pending bilateral issues stemming from Japan’s 1910-45 colonisation of the Korean Peninsula, as well as Japan’s release of contaminated water from its crippled Fukushima nuclear power plants.
“In particular, addressing historical issues is essential for building a future-oriented relationship,” Lee said. “The South Korea-Japan relations can mature further when dialogue and cooperation are based on mutual respect and a sense of responsibility.”
Lee, who’s been leading recent opinion polls, has been stepping up his campaign to present his policy approach in economy and diplomacy.
On Friday, Lee traveled to the southeastern city of Gyeongju, the host city for the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, as part of a nationwide canvassing to engage voters in public spaces.
Speaking to voters at a local market, Lee called for a successful APEC hosting, highlighting the city’s rich cultural heritage.
Gyeongju lies in the Gyeongsang region, a stronghold for the DP’s conservative rivals.
–IANS
int/rs
Disclaimer
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by BhaskarLive.in and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of BhaskarLive.in We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, BhaskarLive.in takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.
For any legal details or query please visit original source link given with news or click on Go to Source.
Our translation service aims to offer the most accurate translation possible and we rarely experience any issues with news post. However, as the translation is carried out by third part tool there is a possibility for error to cause the occasional inaccuracy. We therefore require you to accept this disclaimer before confirming any translation news with us.
If you are not willing to accept this disclaimer then we recommend reading news post in its original language.
