South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japan’s outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba agreed to cooperate on shared challenges, including greying populations, in a bid to solidify their ties.
In a joint statement issued after their bilateral summit in South Korea’s southeastern city of Busan on Tuesday, the two countries agreed to continue working-level discussions on low birth rates, regional growth and measures to prevent suicide, among other issues.
The pledge builds on last month’s Tokyo summit, where the two leaders agreed to establish a consultative body to tackle shared challenges confronting both Asian nations. The bilateral relations, which appeared on a positive track, now face fresh tests as Ishiba has since announced his intent to resign after losing support within his party following a series of election setbacks.
