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expected to hold another summit with Japan soon, following the United States. Japanese Prime Minister Kishida is currently making last-minute arrangements between our government and Japan on a two-day, one-night trip to Korea this Sunday.

President Yoon Seok-yeol and Prime Minister Kishida met in March, and reporter Kim Ah-young explained what was the reason for meeting again at such an early point.

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South Korean and Japanese leaders agreed to restore shuttle diplomacy at talks in Tokyo in March.

There were many expectations that Prime Minister Kishida would make a reciprocal visit after the Seven Major Nations Summit in Hiroshima on 1 July, but the mood has changed drastically recently.

Japanese media have been reporting Prime Minister Kishida's visit schedule on the 2th and 3th, which the president's office has not denied and said "once confirmed, the two countries will jointly announce it."

If the schedule is confirmed, the ROK-Japan summit will take place ten days after the U.S.-ROK summit.

Experts assess that Japan, which considers relations with the United States a top priority, is meeting the expectations of the United States to improve relations between the United States and Japan while sharing the results of the ROK-US summit talks.

[Lee Won-deok/Professor of Japanese Studies, Kookmin University: There is a restraint mentality (toward South Korea), and it seems that the starting point of the decision is the ROK-US solidarity (to block the gaze...) about what the United States is trying to weave between the United States and Japan.]

An official from the President's Office said that Prime Minister Kishida's return visit was accelerated as a reassessment of the need to improve relations between South Korea and Japan in Japan.

Many analysts say that it is unclear whether Prime Minister Kishida, who is conscious of the hard-liners in Japan, will take sincere measures such as apology and remorse regarding the issue of forced mobilization.

Regarding whether to establish a new ROK-US Extended Deterrence Consultative Body, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it will focus on establishing the ROK-US nuclear consultation group specified in the Washington Declaration, but there are no relevant plans or timelines at this time.

(Video Interview: Park Young-il, Video Editing: Lee Seung-yeol)