First of all, I would like to thank Prime Minister Kishida and the people of Japan for warmly welcoming my delegation.

I am very pleased to be the first Korean President in 12 years to visit Japan for a bilateral summit.

Looking back at the state of Korea-Japan relations around the time of my inauguration, it is especially meaningful for me to be here, beside Prime Minister Kishida, going over the results of today’s summit.

Korea and Japan share the universal values of freedom, human rights and the rule of law. We are each other’s closest neighbors and partners. We must work together to pursue common interests related to security, economy and global agenda.

At today’s summit, Prime Minister Kishida and I agreed that the people of Korea and Japan alike suffered from the estranged bilateral relationship, and shared our commitment to swiftly restoring the Korea-Japan relationship.

Responding to the public consensus that we should prepare our two countries’ future together, we agreed to accelerate discussions to enhance cooperation in various areas, including security, economy and people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

In order to prepare a prosperous future for both countries, we agreed to put our heads together and discuss matters not only in the areas of economic security and cutting-edge science but also in finance and foreign exchange.

To that end, we concurred on promptly restoring the consultative bodies to discuss our two countries’ common interests, including the strategic dialogues between diplomatic and economic authorities.

Going forward, I hope to see various other consultations continue, including a Korea-Japan economic security dialogue at the National Security Council level.

Prime Minister Kishida and I acknowledged that close communication and meetings between our two governments have laid the foundation for our two countries’ earnest discussions on the direction of forward-looking progress following Korea’s announcement of a solution to the forced labor issue.

Today, Japan lifted export restrictions on three items, and Korea withdrew its related complaint to the World Trade Organization. We also agreed to continue close dialogue to restore the status of a so-called “white list” of favored trade partners.

In addition, Prime Minister Kishida and I agreed on the need to actively explore ways to support our future generations, so they will be able to deepen mutual understanding through exchanges.

In light of this, the business federation of the two countries agreed today to jointly establish the “Korea-Japan Future Partnership Fund.”

I would like to ask the relevant officials to make the necessary preparations and provide support for this fund, so its establishment can pave the way for significant exchanges and cooperation for forward-looking collaboration between our two countries.

This morning, North Korea fired a long-range ballistic missile in violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions. At the summit a short while ago, Prime Minister Kishida and I discussed this issue in depth.

We shared our understanding that North Korea’s nuclear and missile development threatens peace on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia as well as the rest of the world. Moreover, the Prime Minister and I agreed on the critical importance of cooperation among Korea, the United States and Japan as well as between Korea and Japan, in our effort to respond to threats from the ever-more sophisticated North Korean nuclear and missile programs, and that we must actively work together in this regard.

Also, as Korea implements its Strategy for a Free, Peaceful and Prosperous Indo-Pacific and Japan its Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy, we will work closely together and cooperate with the international community.

In addition, we agreed to unite in protecting the international order that is based on the universal values of freedom, human rights and the rule of law, which has helped achieve peace and prosperity worldwide.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Kim Dae-jung-Obuchi Declaration, which was announced in 1998 to face the past squarely and develop a relationship based on mutual understanding and trust.

By constructively building on the spirit of the Kim Dae-jung-Obuchi Declaration, this summit has taken the first step toward overcoming the unfortunate history between our two countries and ushering in a new era of cooperation between Korea and Japan.

Going forward, we two leaders will maintain active communication and collaborate through shuttle diplomacy, which will allow us to meet as frequently as necessary without the constraints of formalities.

Thank you.