Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has stressed cooperation between South Korea and Japan, pledging efforts to closely communicate with President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Kishida, during a session of the House of Councilors Budget Committee on Monday, said that advanced cooperation between Japan and South Korea, as well as Japan and the United States, is needed more than ever in the current strategic environment. The prime minister said he would closely communicate with the South Korean government, including with President Yoon.

When asked on the importance of Seoul-Tokyo relations amid growing threats from North Korea, Kishida said that South Korea is an important neighbor with which Japan should cooperate in the international community.

The prime minister underscored that Japan will continue working closely with South Korea as well as the United States, noting that he held phone talks with President Yoon early this month when North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan. 
 
Kishida added that he would seek communication between the two governments and its leaders to normalize and develop Seoul-Tokyo relations.