Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya became the first Japanese top diplomat to visit South Korea in nearly seven years on Monday, ahead of talks with his counterpart in Seoul on bilateral and trilateral cooperation just a week before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is due to take office.
Iwaya is to meet with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, with Cho expected to reassure Iwaya of the government’s stability and its commitment to bilateral and trilateral ties in the wake of the political chaos unleashed by President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment over his short-lived bid to martial law declaration.
In Monday’s talks, Iwaya and Cho will likely discuss ways to maintain momentum for bilateral ties and trilateral cooperation with their mutual ally, the United States, ahead of Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration.
