1. On June 28 in Tokyo, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea Kim Hong Kyun held the 15th ROK-Japan Vice-Ministerial Strategic Dialogue with Japanese Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Okano Masataka. The two sides engaged in in-depth discussions covering a wide range of mutual interests, including Korea-Japan relations, issues related to North Korea, and various regional and global issues.

  ※ The Korea-Japan Vice-Ministerial Strategic Dialogue, established in 2005 to foster broader discussions and cooperation between the two countries on regional and global issues, was halted for 9 years after 13 sessions from 2005 to 2014, until its resumption in 2023 following the relevant agreement between the leaders of both countries.

2. Both Vice Ministers noted that Korea and Japan are advancing their ties in a future-oriented way as could be seen from visible improvements across all fields, such as diplomacy, economy, culture and people-to-people exchanges. In that vein, they hailed the progress that is being made in bilateral ties in various sectors and can be felt by the peoples of both countries. Additionally, with next year marking the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties between the two countries, they agreed that the two countries closely collaborate to elevate their relations to a new level.

3. Vice Minister Okano, calling this dialogue an opportunity to engage in an in-depth exchange of views on not only bilateral but also regional and global issues, suggested that the two important neighbors step up cooperation by building on the outcome of this meeting.

4. Regarding the Russia-North Korea agreement reached during the recent visit to the North by President Putin to bolster military cooperation in violation of UN Security Council resolutions, the two Vice Ministers expressed grave concerns about the move as a threat to regional and global security. Both Vice Ministers reaffirmed the agreement reached between the Korean and Japanese Foreign Ministers in their telephone consultation on June 20 to closely coordinate efforts in that regard. They also shared the understanding on the need for steadfast coordination between Korea and Japan, as well as among Korea, the United States and Japan, in unity with the international community to deter threats by North Korea amid the grave security situation triggered by the North’s complex provocation attempts, among others.

5. Furthermore, the two sides extensively exchanged opinions on the regional situation in the Indo-Pacific as well as global situations such as in Ukraine and the Middle East, suggesting that Korea and Japan, which share the values of freedom, human rights and the rule of law, respond to these issues in closer cooperation.

6. They also discussed bilateral issues such as the proposed inscription of Japan’s Sado mines as a UNESCO World Heritage site, affirming their commitment to continue efforts to sustain the momentum for the development of Korea-Japan relations.

7. Following the Strategic Dialogue, Vice Minister Kim paid a courtesy call on Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Kamikawa Yoko. The two sides drew the common understanding that it is important to achieve advances in bilateral relations and progress in various sectors including economy, security and people-to-people exchanges -- progress that is tangible to peoples of the two countries. On that note, they agreed to seek close communication between the diplomatic authorities.