President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida shake hands during a summit at the presidential office in Seoul, Friday. Joint Press Corps

President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held a summit in Seoul, Friday, where they reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral partnerships that will continue beyond Kishida's term, which ends later this month.

It was the 12th meeting between the two leaders and possibly the final one before Kishida leaves office. The Japanese prime minister's term is set to expire at the end of September, following his decision to withdraw from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's leadership race and not seek re-election.

During the summit, the two sides signed an agreement to cooperate in rescuing citizens from conflict zones and promised to explore ways to simplify immigration procedures to expand person-to-person exchanges.

"Over the past year and a half, Korea-Japan relations have significantly improved based on our strong mutual trust. The achievements we have accomplished together are among the most meaningful since I took office," Yoon stated during his opening remarks.

"I hope that both sides will continue to work together in a future-oriented manner to ensure that our steps toward a brighter future persist," the president added, emphasizing the need for continued efforts as next year marks the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties.

Kishida echoed this sentiment, reaffirming his commitment to continuously strengthening cooperation ahead of the six-decade milestone.

President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida hold a summit at the presidential office in Seoul, Friday. Joint Press Corps

The Japanese leader touched on historical issues, but he reiterated his previous comments made during earlier summits.

"Since President Yoon's significant decision in March last year, dialogue and cooperation between our two countries have progressed significantly in many areas, following the direction we set during our Tokyo summit. I have also made it clear that I am fully committed to the stance on historical issues taken by previous cabinets, including the 1998 Japan-Korea Joint Declaration," he said.

"Additionally, I expressed my heartfelt sorrow for the extremely difficult and painful experiences that many people endured in challenging times here in Seoul."

He also expressed support for Korea's "unification doctrine" unveiled by Yoon on Aug. 15 Liberation Day. "I hope that this doctrine will create an environment that leads to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula," he said.

The summit was followed by a dinner hosted by Yoon, attended by first lady Kim Keon Hee and her Japanese counterpart Yuko Kishida.

Prior to leaving Seoul, the Japanese prime minister visited Seoul National University, Yoon's alma mater, Saturday, to meet with Korean and Japanese exchange students. During his trip to Japan in March of last year, Yoon also engaged with students at Keio University.

Kishida's trip was arranged at Japan's request, as he expressed a willingness to meet Yoon, according to the presidential office.

The Japanese prime minister, who has faced sluggish approval ratings and political scandals at home, has highlighted the normalization of ties with Korea as a major accomplishment of his administration.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, left, and his wife, Yuko Kishida, arrive at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Friday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

As such, the outgoing prime minister's visit was apparently intended to highlight his legacy.

For Yoon, who has also used diplomacy as a cornerstone of his support, the meeting was seen as an opportunity to champion his efforts to mend frayed relations and sustain the partnership despite the upcoming leadership change in Tokyo.

Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo said the summit, which lasted for one hour and 40 minutes, resulted in outcomes including the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on mutual rescue missions.

"The MOU aims to institutionalize cooperation in rescue missions, drawing from instances where both countries worked together for emergency evacuations during the Sudan coup in April last year and the Hamas conflict in Israel in October," Kim told reporters after the summit.

The agreement, consisting of eight articles, outlines measures for cooperation between the two countries in the event of a crisis in a third country.

A senior presidential office official indicated that the two sides will explore ways to streamline immigration procedures to alleviate the inconvenience of long lines and time-consuming processes for Korean travelers entering Japan.

One potential idea currently under review by Japan is implementing preliminary screening for Korean nationals before their arrival in Japan, the official said, though further discussions are still required.

Korea-Japan bilateral relations have seen significant improvement after being strained in recent years due to historical grievances. The Yoon administration's decision in March 2023 to compensate Korean victims of Japan's wartime forced labor with government funds — without requiring contributions from the responsible Japanese firms — marked the start of this thawing in relations.

This led to a breakthrough summit later that month, when Yoon visited Tokyo for a summit with Kishida. It was the first time in 12 years that a Korean president visited Japan for a summit.

The two leaders have since developed a rapport through a dozen meetings held seperately or on the sidelines of multinational events.

The restored ties between the Asian neighbors have also significantly bolstered trilateral security cooperation with the United States in response to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.

However, the Yoon administration's policy toward Japan, which involved making significant concessions on contentious issues, has faced domestic criticism and attacks from the opposition parties.

Environmental activists hold a rally at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, Thursday, criticizing Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's visit to Seoul and demanding the Japanese government to halt the release of Fukushima wastewater. Yonhap

Several liberal civic groups organized rallies across Seoul ahead of Kishida's visit, denouncing it as a "farewell party funded by taxpayers' money."

"It seems that the Korean president is bowing down to Kishida. We are well aware of the fate of leaders who go against history. We do not need a government that kneels to Japan," said Kim Young-hwan, a member of the Center for Historical Truth and Justice, which represents forced labor victims, during a press conference held near the presidential office.

In contrast, the ruling People Power Party praised the summit, expressing optimism that Kishida's visit will serve as a cornerstone for further strengthening bilateral relations.

"Based on the summit, we hope to see more quantitative and qualitative exchanges in various fields, including the economy. This will serve as an opportunity for Korea-Japan relations to truly move toward a future-oriented partnership," the party said in a statement.