Northeast Asia

Information on Countries and Other Areas
1. China
2. Japan
3. Mongolia
4. Taiwan
Information on the Region
- Japan
- China
1. - The ROK-Japan Relations
    - The Republic of Korea and Japan are close neighboring countries with a rich tradition of exchanges and cooperation, and are important partners that share similar values and interests. The Korean Government has adopted a two-track approach in its relations with Japan, continuing cooperation in strategic and mutually beneficial fields such as the North Korean nuclear issue, economy and culture while taking a firm stance on history issues.
      
      As of 2021, the trade volume between the ROK and Japan amounted to $84.7 billion
      
      In the face of enhanced nuclear weapons and missile threats from North Korea that reached unprecedented levels, progress was made also in the field of defense cooperation. In November 2016, the two countries signed an agreement on the protection of classified military information. The agreement will enhance both countries’ abilities to deal with North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile threats, and contribute to ROK-US-Japan trilateral cooperation.
      
      With regard to the Dokdo issue, however, the Korean Government has dealt firmly and resolutely with any claims made by the Japanese Government denying Korean sovereignty over the islets, which have been an integral part of Korean territory historically, geographically, and under international law. It is the basic position of the Korean Government that ROK-Japan relations should be based on a correct understanding of history.
    - Issue of the Victims of ‘Comfort Women’ by the Japanese Imperial Army during the Second World War
      
      Statement by Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea at the High-level Segment of the 37th Session of the Human Rights Council (February 26, 2018)
      
      Announcement of the Republic of Korea’s Position Regarding the ROK-Japan Agreement on the “Comfort Women” Issue (January 9, 2018)
      
      Report on the Review of the Korea-Japan Agreement of December 28, 2015 on the Issue of “Comfort Women” Victims (December 27, 2017)
      
      Announcement by Foreign Ministers of Republic of Korea and Japan at the Joint Press Availability (December 28, 2015)
      
      Korea’s Position on Japan’s Review of the Details Leading to the Drafting of the Kono Statement (June 25, 2014)
    - Issue of Forced Labor
      
      Government Position Statement on Forced Labor Court Decision
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      Japanese Government’s Attitude towards the Korean Judiciary’s Ruling on Victims of Forced Labor
      English Japanese Spanish Russian French Chinese Arabic
      
      Facts regarding the issue of forced labor
      English Japanese Spanish Deutsch French Chinese Arabic
    - Related Documents and Interview
      
      BBC HARDtalk Interview with Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea (August 22, 2019)
      
      Wall Street Journal 'Letter to the Editor: Japan is Not Keeping Agreement with Korea' by Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea (September 6, 2019)
      
      Bloomberg 'Letter to the Editor: Japan's Sanctions Against South Korea are Misguided' by Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea (September 19, 2019)
      
      - The Straits Times Opinion 'The Real Background to Recent Republic of Korea-Japan Disputes' by Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea (September 20, 2019)
      
      Australian Financial Review 'Letters: Japan's Sanctions Against South Korea are Misguided' by Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea (October 1, 2019)
2. - The ROK-China Relations
    - Since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1992, the Republic of Korea and China have witnessed a rapid development of their relations in various fields. In just 28 years, the annual trade volume and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries increased about 43 and 76 times respectively. Based on the "Strategic Cooperative Partnership" established through the mutual visits by the two heads of states in 2008, the two countries have been exerting greater effort to enhance their relations, sharing the strategic goal of maintaining peace and prosperity in the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia.
    - In particular, the two countries have been strengthening political credibility and advancing the "Strategic Cooperative Partnership" by bolstering exchanges between high profile dignitaries. In 2012, five successful summit-level meetings as well as five foreign ministerial dialogues and one vice ministerial strategic talks between the two countries were held. Moreover, as of 2012, China was the ROK's largest trading partner and the ROK was China's third largest trading partner. Cooperation between the two countries in the economic field is expected to strengthen further based on the "Korea-China Economy and Trade Cooperation Vision Report", signed in 2009. Cultural exchanges have also been steadily promoted with the continued spread of the Korean wave(Hallyu) in China and the Chinese wave(Hanfeng) in the ROK. Such cultural exchanges have deepened the mutual understanding that will lay the foundation for future-oriented the ROK-China relations. In June 2013, following the state visit to China by President Park Geun-hye, the two countries adopted the joint statement of future vision for ROK-China relationship, which is expected to serve as a landmark and a blueprint for furthering and developing the strategic partnership. In July 2014, during Chinese President Xi's state visit to the Republic of Korea, the two leaders adopted a joint statement to further enrich the strategic cooperative partnership.

Information on Countries and Other Areas

Information on the Region

The ROK-Japan Relations

Issue of the Victims of ‘Comfort Women’ by the Japanese Imperial Army during the Second World War

Issue of Forced Labor

Related Documents and Interview

The ROK-China Relations