Kishida, Yoon to Meet in Phnom Penh Sunday

Phnom Penh, Nov. 12 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will hold his first formal face-to-face meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol in Phnom Penh on Sunday, the Japanese government said Saturday.

The two leaders will meet on the sidelines of regional gatherings to discuss responses to North Korea's recent missile launches and a dispute between Tokyo and Seoul over wartime labor.

Kishida had previously taken the position that Seoul needed to resolve the wartime labor issue before a formal summit is held. The two leaders met in New York in September, but Tokyo described the 30-minute meeting as informal conversations.

The Japanese prime minister apparently found it necessary to hold a formal meeting with Yoon as he seeks to enhance deterrence against North Korea's provocations, including a possible seventh nuclear test, people familiar with his thinking said.

Kishida is also hoping to confirm cooperation with Seoul to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific to counter China's growing influence.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]