Next week's summit between Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol will be an important indication to domestic and international observers alike of both sides' resolve to improve bilateral relations.
Building deeper trust as true partners will be essential as Tokyo and Seoul face up to the severe security environment, epitomized by issues involving North Korea and China.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, during his regular afternoon press conference Thursday, described South Korea as an "important neighbor" that Japan should cooperate with on various issues affecting the international community. He expressed hope that bilateral ties would "develop further" as he said that Yoon will visit Japan on March 16 and 17.
