Takaichi: "South Korea is an Important Neighbor... Will Further Strengthen Security and Economic Ties"

"Cooperation Across Wide-Ranging Fields, Including the Trilateral Framework"
On China: "We Will Assert Our Positions...Aiming for Stable Relations"

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi described South Korea as an "important neighbor" and expressed her commitment to further strengthening relations across a wide range of areas, including security and the economy.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is delivering a speech at the UN General Assembly general debate for the first time since taking office. 2026.9.23. Yonhap News Agency

On October 5, in her policy speech at an extraordinary session of the Japanese National Diet, Prime Minister Takaichi stated, "With South Korea, an important neighboring country with whom we have deepened communication through shuttle diplomacy, we will further strengthen relations in a broad range of fields, including security and the economy, within the trilateral framework of Japan, the United States, and South Korea."

Regarding China, she also referred to it as an "important neighboring country," but raised issues such as the East China Sea and South China Sea disputes, military activities in areas surrounding Japan, and human rights concerns, stating, "We will assert what must be asserted and strongly demand responsible behavior."

However, she added, "When it comes to shared challenges, we will work to facilitate communication and pursue dialogue to protect our national interests, thereby establishing constructive and stable relations."

Concerning North Korea, she said all options, including a summit meeting, would be considered to resolve the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea. She also stressed that North Korea's nuclear and missile development "will never be tolerated."

In terms of economic policy, she announced a plan to pursue both "responsible proactive fiscal policy" and fiscal soundness, and said that by the end of the year, the government will prepare an "Implementation Plan for Japan's Growth Strategy," which will lay out investment directions for the next five years.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.