South Korea and Japan can turn to their common ally, the United States, to help them remedy the strained bilateral relationship, South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong said on Thursday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th February, 2021) South Korea and Japan can turn to their common ally, the United States, to help them remedy the strained bilateral relationship, South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong said on Thursday.
"As I recently held a phone call with US Secretary of State [Antony] Blinken, South Korea and Japan can seek the US' help regarding their issues, if need be, while the three countries carry out trilateral cooperation," Chung said during a parliamentary session at the National Assembly in Seoul, as quoted by South Korean news agency Yonhap.
Diplomatic tensions between Seoul and Tokyo over wartime history and territorial disputes have caused worries among South Korean officials, who fear this can put pressure on Seoul's relations with Washington. Addressing the issue, Chung expressed his willingness to hold phone talks with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and discuss ways to mend ties between the two countries.
"I believe that the two governments can sufficiently address issues through close dialogue, and we have been persuading the Japanese side in that direction," the minister was quoted as saying.
A former security adviser to South Korean President Moon Jae-in, Chung was appointed the foreign minister on February 8. During his time as a security adviser, he actively participated in denuclearization negotiations with North Korea.
According to presidential spokesman Chung Man-ho, Chung's priority as foreign minister is to build balanced relations with major countries such as China, Japan and Russia, as well as strengthen the Seoul-Washington alliance and further engage in the peace process on the peninsula.
