1. On Friday, May 17, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Hong Kyun met with Mizushima Koichi, the newly appointed Japanese Ambassador-Designate to the Republic of Korea, who submitted a copy of his credentials, and exchanged views on the relationship between the two countries.

2. Vice Minister Kim welcomed Ambassador-Designate Mizushima’s assumption of the post and expressed his hope that the momentum for improved relations, established through close communication between the leaders of the ROK and Japan last year, would be further strengthened in the coming year, marking the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries. He also urged Ambassador-Designate Mizushima to actively play a role in the stable management of bilateral relations, including addressing sensitive issues.

3. Ambassador-Designate Mizushima expressed his pleasure at being appointed as the Japanese Ambassador to the ROK. He noted that the relationship between the ROK and Japan has been developing under the leadership of the two countries’ leaders since last year, and committed to doing his utmost to further enhance the ROK-Japan relations during his tenure.