Seoul calls for closer cooperation with new Japanese gov't

By Tony Chang
SEOUL, Sept. 16 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Wednesday congratulated Japan on the
launch of its new administration led by Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and
expressed hope for strengthened ties through close cooperation.
"Our government offers its congratulations on the election of Democratic Party of
Japan (DPJ) leader Yukio Hatoyama as Japan's new prime minister and the launch of
a new Cabinet, South Korea's foreign ministry said in a statement.
South Korea expects to continue to strengthen bilateral ties with Japan in close
cooperation with Japan's new government, the ministry added.
The DPJ last month shattered the over half-century stronghold of the ruling
Liberal Democratic Party by wining the general election in a landslide. Hatoyama,
the party leader, was sworn in as the country's new prime minister earlier in the
day.
Unlike former Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso and his conservative predecessors,
who focused on a strong alliance with the U.S., Hatoyama has sought a better
relationship with South Korea, China and even North Korea, calling for an East
Asian Community modeled after the European Union.
"The Korea-Japan relationship has steadily developed over the years, and there is
hope it will develop to a higher level at which they completely trust each
other," South Korean President Lee Myung-bak said in a joint interview Tuesday
with Yonhap News Agency and Japan's Kyodo News.
odissy@yna.co.kr
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