By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Hong Kyun held a meeting with Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Okano Masataka in Tokyo, Japan, on December 26, and exchanged views on bilateral relations, Korea-Japan and Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation, and North Korea issues.
Vice Minister Kim explained that the Korean government is stably managing overall state affairs under the acting authority system and all relevant future processes will be carried out democratically based on the Constitution and laws.

Given the importance of bilateral relations, the two Vice Ministers agreed to continue maintaining and developing bilateral ties as well as implementing close exchanges and cooperation between the two countries at all levels and in various fields.
As the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan is just around the corner, the two Vice Ministers reiterated that they will continue to communicate with each other mainly through the task forces established within their Foreign Ministries in order to implement various commemorative projects and seek results that are tangible to people. They also agreed to continue consultations toward an early resumption of high-level face-to-face exchanges.
The two Vice Ministers shared the view that Korea-Japan and Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation mechanism should continue as an important framework for responding to regional and global challenges and agreed to continue to build on the achievements of bilateral and trilateral cooperation. In particular, the two Vice Ministers agreed to continue close coordination among the three countries to brace for possible provocations by North Korea and to respond to the growing illegal military cooperation between Russia and North Korea.

In a separate move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul had a telephone conversation with Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Iwaya Takeshi from 11:15 to 11:35 on December 23, 2024, and the two sides discussed Korea’s domestic situation and Korea-Japan relations.
Minister Cho said that the Korean government is stably managing overall state affairs under the acting authority system and will unwaveringly maintain its diplomatic stance, including the development of Korea-Japan relations. He also stressed that there is no need to worry about the normal economic activities of foreign companies and called for continued economic cooperation between the two countries.
As next year, which marks the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan, is just a week away, the two ministers agreed to make steady preparations to ensure that 2025 becomes a meaningful year for bilateral relations.
The two ministers reaffirmed the importance of maintaining strong cooperation between Korea and Japan and among Korea, the U.S., and Japan in order to respond to the grave international situation, including the North Korean issue, and agreed to continue close communication at all levels.