President Lee Jae-myung on June 9 holds a phone conversation with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at the official presidential residence in Seoul. (President Lee's official X account)

By Kang Gahui 

President Lee Jae-myung on June 9 in his first phone summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba pledged to strive for advancement in bilateral relations.

Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung told a briefing that the talk lasted about 25 minutes starting at noon.

President Lee thanked the prime minister for congratulating him on the former's inauguration, and agreed to jointly respond to challenges from the perspective of mutual national interests and explore ways to coexist.

"The two leaders agreed to build a stronger and mature bilateral relationship based on mutual respect, trust and a responsible attitude," the spokesperson said. "To mark the 60th anniversary of the normalization of bilateral ties, they noted active exchanges between the people of both nations and pledged to further boost communication between their two governments."

"They also reviewed the results of Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation to date and agreed to continue efforts to respond to geopolitical challenges within the framework of such cooperation," she added. "They will also meet in person in the future for in-depth talks on issues of mutual interest including the developmental direction of bilateral relations."

kgh89@korea.kr