Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is considering visiting South Korea after hosting the Group of Seven summit in the western Japan city of Hiroshima in May, in a bid to accelerate efforts to put bilateral ties back on track, diplomatic sources said Tuesday.
The trip would follow South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's visit to Japan for two days from Thursday, which comes as the two countries agreed last week on steps to resolve a wartime labor compensation dispute that has soured bilateral ties.
On Thursday, Kishida and Yoon are expected to affirm the resumption of reciprocal visits by the countries' leaders, a practice not seen for more than 10 years.
Bilateral ties had plunged to the lowest point in decades after South Korea's top court in 2018 ordered two Japanese companies to compensate plaintiffs for alleged forced labor during Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.
Under the solution, a South Korean government-backed foundation will pay compensation to the plaintiffs who won the lawsuits, instead of the Japanese firms that were sued.
According to the sources, Kishida is positive about traveling to South Korea because he highly appreciates Yoon for coming up with a proposal to end the dispute.
But South Korea's idea has not been entirely welcomed by its own public, with some plaintiffs in related lawsuits and opposition party members viewing it as "humiliating."
A recent opinion poll found nearly 60 percent of respondents not in favor of the scheme because it does not include an apology or compensation from Japan.
One of the Japanese sources said the government expects Kishida's visit to take place sometime between July and September, but its exact timing will be determined by "taking into consideration South Korea's public opinion."
Reciprocal visits between Japanese and South Korean leaders have been halted since December 2011, when then President Lee Myung Bak came to Japan and argued with his Japanese counterpart Yoshihiko Noda over the issue of Koreans who were forced to work as "comfort women" in Japan's wartime military brothels.
In terms of diplomatic protocol, it was Kishida's turn to visit South Korea next. However, the Japanese government invited Yoon this time as the South Korean leader, who took office in May last year, has expressed willingness to visit the neighboring country to improve bilateral ties.
In a rare show of hospitality, the Japanese government is preparing an after-party following a dinner between the two leaders, according to the sources.
They are likely to go to a Japanese "sukiyaki" beef hot pot dish restaurant in Tokyo's upscale Ginza district, and then move to another restaurant to treat Yoon to rice omelet, one his favorite dishes.
Kishida is also considering inviting Yoon to the upcoming G-7 summit in his home constituency of Hiroshima, the sources said.
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