Japan, China, S. Korea Agree to Promote Tourism Exchanges

Incheon, South Korea, Aug. 30 (Jiji Press)--Ministers in charge of tourism from Japan, China and South Korea agreed on Friday to continue promoting exchanges in the field. Their meeting, held in Incheon, South Korea, came at a time when relations between Japan and South Korea are deteriorating further following Japan's stricter controls on exports to South Korea and Seoul's decision not to renew the general security of military information agreement, or GSOMIA, with Tokyo. The meeting was attended by Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Minister Keiichi Ishii from Japan, Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Park Yang-woo from South Korea, and Tourism Minister Luo Shugang from China. On the sidelines of the three-way talks, Ishii and Park held a bilateral meeting, which lasted about 75 minutes, some 35 minutes longer than the initially planned. "We shared the view that tourism exchanges are important," Ishii told reporters after the meeting with Park, while citing problems between Japan and South Korea. Asked why the bilateral meeting was extended, Ishii said that he and Park "exchanged opinions enthusiastically." Meanwhile, Park stopped short of giving details of the session, saying only that the two ministers had talked frankly about many topics. According to Japanese and South Korean authorities, Ishii and Park agreed that Tokyo and Seoul will make efforts to resolve the bilateral issues. In South Korea, moves to boycott Japanese products and refrain from travel to Japan are continuing. On Friday, it came to light that a Japanese low-cost carrier will suspend flights between Japan and South Korea, apparently due to a drop in the number of South Koreans visiting Japan. The last meeting of tourism ministers of Japan, China and South Korea was held in October 2018, in Suzhou, eastern China. Also on Friday, the three countries held a meeting of their culture ministers in Incheon. Participants agreed to expand cultural exchanges and cooperation. From Japan, Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Minister Masahiko Shibayama joined the session. END