Ban, Abe meet over North Korea

TOKYO – South Korea’s Ban Ki-Moon, the next UN chief, promised yesterday to co-ordinate closely with neighbouring Japan as the two countries confront the North Korean nuclear crisis.

South Korea’s foreign minister met with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and thanked Japan, which has had tense relations in recent months with Seoul, for supporting his bid to be UN secretary general. “I want to work closely with your government as I will face various important issues at the United Nations,” Ban said before meeting with Abe at his official residence in Tokyo.”I will go to New York in mid-November as the UN secretary general-designate.Before that, I wanted to meet with Prime Minister Abe to discuss our co-operative relationship,” Ban said.The Japanese premier said he appreciated Ban’s work as a foreign minister and that Tokyo hoped to enhance bilateral ties with Seoul.”I want to express my respect to you as you have made many efforts aimed at improving the Japan-South Korea relationship.”I, too, believe the relationship between Japan and South Korea is extremely important,” Abe said.Bilateral ties have been tense over the legacy of Japan’s wartime aggression in Korea.South Korea and China were infuriated by former prime minister Junichiro Koizumi’s repeated visits to a war shrine associated with Japan’s past militarism.Abe, who came to power in late September, visited South Korea and China on a tour aimed at easing the friction with Tokyo’s neighbours.Nampa-AFP”I want to work closely with your government as I will face various important issues at the United Nations,” Ban said before meeting with Abe at his official residence in Tokyo.”I will go to New York in mid-November as the UN secretary general-designate.Before that, I wanted to meet with Prime Minister Abe to discuss our co-operative relationship,” Ban said.The Japanese premier said he appreciated Ban’s work as a foreign minister and that Tokyo hoped to enhance bilateral ties with Seoul.”I want to express my respect to you as you have made many efforts aimed at improving the Japan-South Korea relationship.”I, too, believe the relationship between Japan and South Korea is extremely important,” Abe said.Bilateral ties have been tense over the legacy of Japan’s wartime aggression in Korea.South Korea and China were infuriated by former prime minister Junichiro Koizumi’s repeated visits to a war shrine associated with Japan’s past militarism.Abe, who came to power in late September, visited South Korea and China on a tour aimed at easing the friction with Tokyo’s neighbours.Nampa-AFP