South Korea, Japan foreign ministers to meet amid political turmoil in Seoul
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Japan's Takeshi Iwaya (left) and South Korea's Cho Tae-yul's meeting is the first of its kind since President Yoon's short-lived imposition of martial law.
PHOTOS: REUTERS
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SEOUL - The foreign ministers of South Korea and Japan will hold talks in the South Korean capital on Jan 13, as the key US allies seek to underscore improved ties and shared security concerns amid the worst political crisis in decades in Seoul.
The meeting between South Korea's Cho Tae-yul and Japan's Takeshi Iwaya marks the first of its kind between the countries since President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived imposition of martial law last month, a move that stunned South Koreans.
Mr Yoon has been holed up in his hillside villa in Seoul since Parliament voted to impeach and suspend him vowing to arrest him
Mr Iwaya is also due to meet Acting South Korean President Choi Sang-mok, the Japanese government said.
With the administration of US President-elect Donald Trump set to begin on Jan 20, none of the original leaders who established a three-way security cooperation pact between the countries in 2023 - US President Joe Biden, Mr Yoon, and former Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida - will remain in power.
Under Mr Yoon and Mr Kishida, relations between Seoul and Tokyo sharply improved after sinking to their lowest level in decades amid acrimonious diplomatic and trade disputes over Japan's 1910-45 occupation of the Korean Peninsula.
Mr Yoon had made it a diplomatic priority to mend ties with Tokyo and improve security cooperation, including with Washington, to tackle North Korea's military threats.
Last week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on a visit to South Korea expressed confidence in Seoul's democratic process, though said Washington had expressed "serious concerns" over some of the actions Mr Yoon took over the course of his martial law declaration.
Despite polls showing a majority of South Koreans disapprove of Mr Yoon's martial law declaration and support his impeachment, his ruling People Power Party (PPP) has enjoyed a jump in support.
Support for the PPP stood at 40.8 per cent in the latest Realmeter poll released on Jan 13, while the main opposition Democratic Party's support stood at 42.2 per cent, within a margin of error and down from a gap of 10.8 per cent from last week, the poll said. REUTERS
