“Japanese Ambassador Hopes South Korea and Japan’s Visit to Korean Atomic Bomb Victims’ Memorial Will Improve Bilateral Relations”

The Japanese ambassador to the United States said that he hopes that the visit of the leaders of South Korea and Japan to the Korean atomic bomb victims’ memorial during the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan will contribute to improving bilateral relations. This is reporter Lee Jo-eun.

Japanese Ambassador to the U.S. Koji Tomita said on the 9th that Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s visit to the Hiroshima Memorial Cenotaph for Korean Victims of the Atomic Bombing, scheduled during the G7 Summit, “is a very important step in our integrated efforts to improve bilateral relations between South Korea and Japan.” part,” he said.

[녹취:도미타 대사] “I think that this visit to the memorial was something discussed between the leaders just a few days ago. This is a part of efforts, consolidated efforts to improve bilateral relations which is so very important. And the comment that the Prime Minister made in Seoul during his visit and all the things are the part of our efforts to that goal. So I very much hope that President Yoon’s participation in Hiroshima will lead to further progress in that direction. I hope their visit to memorial will contribute to that effort.”

Ambassador Domita made this statement during a conversation on the theme of the G7 summit held at the National Press Club in Washington that day, answering a related question, saying, “The visit to the memorial was discussed between the heads of both countries a few days ago.”

“Prime Minister Kishida’s remarks in Seoul during his visit and all of them are part of our efforts to achieve that goal (improving relations),” he said.

He emphasized, “I sincerely hope that President Yoon’s participation in the Hiroshima meeting will lead to further progress in that direction, and I hope that the memorial service will also contribute to such efforts.”

Earlier, at a joint press conference after the summit meeting with Prime Minister Kishida, who visited Korea on the 7th, President Yoon said, “At the invitation of Prime Minister Kishida, we will visit Hiroshima, Japan to attend the G7 Summit on the 19th.” We decided to visit and worship the memorial stone for Korean atomic bomb victims in Seoul.”

During the G7 Summit to be held in Hiroshima from the 19th to the 21st, a trilateral summit meeting between the US, Korea and Japan will also be held.

This is the third time that a three-way summit between President Joe Biden, President Yoon, and Prime Minister Kishida will be held.

The heads of the three countries previously sat together at the ASEAN-related summit held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia in November last year.

This is Joeun Lee from VOA News.