Regarding President Yoon Seok-yeol's visit to Japan on 18-16 June, the Office of the President said today (17 May), "While making efforts to restore existing cooperation channels (with Japan), we have also expanded the scope of cooperation to economic and security areas such as supply chain stabilization and promotion of key high-tech technologies."

In a press release distributed to the media that day, the President's Office said, "The first bilateral visit in 12 years marks a turning point in the improvement of bilateral relations, which have been at their worst ever."

This is the first time that a South Korean and Japanese leader has visited each other on a purely bilateral visit since former Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's visit to the ROK in 2011 and former President Lee Myung-bak's visit to Japan in December of the same year.

On the occasion of the visit, the President's Office said, "'Shuttle diplomacy,' which allows candid discussions on pending issues between the heads of state, has been reactivated," and "we will continue to implement the national task of 'restoring trust and resolving pending issues through the restoration of shuttle diplomacy between South Korea and Japan.'"

Referring to the "Korea-Japan Future Partnership Fund" announced by President Yun and Keidanren during his visit to Japan, he said, "From an economic point of view, we also confirmed our mutual commitment to achieve common interests such as stabilizing supply chains, expanding export markets, and strengthening scientific and technological cooperation."

Commenting on the agreement between the two countries to launch the Economic and Security Dialogue between the National Security Council (NSC), the Office of the President said, "It will serve as an occasion to strengthen cooperation in the direction of promoting the common interests of the two countries on major economic and security issues such as cooperation in emerging and core technologies and technology protection."

He said, "We will continue to materialize follow-up consultations between the two countries to bring about practical cooperation."

At the ROK-Japan summit, the two leaders also agreed to withdraw all unfriendly measures, such as export restrictions, as soon as possible.

The Office of the President emphasized that "Japan's export control measures are representative unfriendly measures triggered by the issue of forced labor" and "have established a practical foundation for the full-scale improvement of ROK-Japan relations and the strengthening of economic cooperation."

In particular, he hoped that "the lifting of export restrictions in the semiconductor field followed by Korea's reinstatement to the white list will remove the uncertainty that hinders exchanges in the materials, parts, and equipment fields, and further enhance the atmosphere of cooperation between the industries of the two countries."

In addition, the Office of the President said it will engage in supply chain cooperation with Japan, a key partner in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), and looks forward to expanding exports and cooperation with each other in areas such as semiconductors, batteries, electric vehicles, content, and consumer goods.

He added that he would cooperate in future new industries such as space, quantum, biotechnology, and hydrogen-reducing steelmaking, and establish new financial and foreign exchange cooperation to jointly respond to the crisis.

On the first day of his visit to Japan, which was held as a "working visit" for 12 days and 1 night, President Yun held a summit meeting with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the Prime Minister's Residence and agreed to restore shuttle diplomacy, normalize the Military Information Security Agreement (GSOMIA), and launch the Economic and Security Consultative Body.

The next day, we attended an interview with Japanese political figures, a Japan-Korea Business Roundtable, and a special lecture at Keio University.