Japan-Korea high-level economic talks held for the first time in eight years, reflecting improved relations

High-level economic talks between Japan and South Korea will be held for the first time in eight years. According to Reuters, South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that high-level economic talks between Japan and South Korea will be held on Thursday the 21st. This is the first time in about eight years that these talks have been held in response to improvements in Japan-South Korea relations . High-level economic talks between Japan and South Korea began in 1999, but they were not held until January 2016 due to the deterioration in relations between the two countries over historical issues. According to an announcement by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Korean side will be headed by Kang Jae-kwon, economic and diplomatic coordinator at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Japanese side will be headed by Keiichi Ono, vice-minister for foreign affairs (economic affairs). They are expected to discuss security policy. Relations between Japan and South Korea have cooled down over the past few years due to issues such as forced labor. However, the current South Korean President Yoon Seok- yeol has been focusing on improving Japan-Korea relations since taking office, and the future direction of Japan-Korea relations will be a focus of attention.