Japan's Abe asks South Korea to take steps to resolve bilateral row

Record ID: 1449954

  • Title: Japan's Abe asks South Korea to take steps to resolve bilateral row
  • Date: 24th December 2019
  • Summary: CHENGDU, SICHUAN PROVINCE, CHINA (DECEMBER 24, 2019) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER SHINZO ABE WALKING INTO NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER, SHINZO ABE, SAYING: "The message we agreed upon is that the North should refrain from additional provocations when the process (of talks between the U.S. and North Korea) are reaching a critical point." JOURNALIST ASKING QUESTION (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER, SHINZO ABE, SAYING: "South Korea should take responsibility and come up with measures to resolve the issue. I asked that South Korea initiate steps to restore ties between Japan and South Korea to a healthy state." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER, SHINZO ABE, SAYING: "We (Chinese President Xi Jinping and I) discussed the South China Sea issues which are in the spotlight of the international community. We also discussed the situation in Hong Kong and human rights situation in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region." JOURNALIST ASKING QUESTION / ABE LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER, SHINZO ABE, SAYING: "We (Japan) have a strong interest in China's military activity and its defence policy, and we are watching them carefully." ABE LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE
  • Embargoed: 7th January 2020 10:38
  • Keywords: China Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe North Korea South Korea wartime labour issue
  • Location: CHENGDU, SICHUAN PROVINCE, CHINA
  • City: CHENGDU, SICHUAN PROVINCE, CHINA
  • Country: China
  • Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001BBC2HC7
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: AUDIO QUALITY AS INCOMING
    Japanese Prime Minister Shinto Abe asked South Korea's president on Tuesday (December 24) to take steps to resolve a bitter dispute at their first bilateral talks in 15 months, a sign that while the mood is improving, knotty problems between the U.S. allies remain.
    At their bilateral meeting held on the sidelines of a trilateral summit in southwest China, Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in stressed the need to improve ties after the worst period of tension between their countries in decades.
    Abe, speaking at a news conference just after his meeting with Moon, also urged North Korea to refrain from any "provocations". The nuclear talks between the U.S. and North Korea are stagnant while the year-end deadline set by North Korea is approaching.
    Relations have been strained since South Korea's Supreme Court last year ordered Japanese firms to compensate some South Koreans forced to work for them during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule. Japan says the issue was settled under a 1965 treaty and that the court ruling violated international law.
    (Production: Thomas Suen, Hideto Sakai)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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