South Korea, Japan hold vice ministerial-level finance meeting to discuss global issues

Seoul, Sep 15 (IANS) South Korea and Japan held a vice ministerial-level meeting of finance officials in Seoul on Monday to discuss global financial issues, Seoul's finance ministry said.

Choi Ji-young, deputy minister for international affairs at South Korea's Ministry of Economy and Finance, met with his Japanese counterpart, Atsushi Mimura, at the government complex in Seoul to discuss key issues concerning the world economy and global financial markets, according to the ministry.

The two sides exchanged views on pending matters being discussed on multilateral platforms, such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Group of Twenty (G20) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Yonhap News Agency reported.

The ministry said they also held consultations in preparation for the 10th Korea-Japan finance ministers' meeting to be held in Tokyo.

"Financial authorities of the two nations will continue cooperation not only in the senior official level but also on the working level," the ministry said.

On September 8, the South Korean presidential office said it expects to maintain positive relations with Tokyo, after Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba decided to resign over an election setback.

South Korea and Japan "have reached a broad consensus on building future-oriented and stable relations," a senior official at the presidential office said.

"We expect the two nations to continue positive relations going forward despite Ishiba's resignation."

The presidential office has been closely monitoring developments related to Ishiba's decision to quit, but refrained from commenting on Japan's domestic politics, according to the official.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung visited Tokyo in late August for his second talks with Ishiba, where the two leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation.

But, tensions remained as Seoul recently decided to boycott Japan's upcoming ceremony marking the Sado mine linked to the wartime forced labour of Koreans, citing Tokyo's lack of sincerity in honouring the victims.

--IANS

akl/