Foreign ministers of Seoul, Beijing agree to take cultural ties to ‘next level’

Cho met with Wang on the sidelines of a planned trilateral meeting with Japan for a 50-minute talk at a hotel in Tokyo.

The issue of cultural exchanges comes amid cautious optimism surrounding the possible easing of China’s ban on the Korean Wave — an unofficial set of restrictions imposed by Beijing in 2016 following Seoul’s deployment of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense antimissile system.

Though never formally acknowledged by Chinese authorities, the ban drastically curtailed Korean cultural exports such as K-pop, dramas and entertainment collaborations, and signaled a broader chill in bilateral relations.

Cho and Wang discussed ongoing efforts to facilitate people-to-people exchanges to build on Beijing’s announcement in November last year of a visa waiver for short-term Korean travelers. In turn, Seoul announced Thursday that it will introduce a temporary visa waiver for Chinese group travelers in the third quarter.

Cho also expressed hopes that Chinese President Xi Jinping would visit Korea later this year for the APEC summit, saying such a trip could serve as a “new turning point” in bilateral cooperation.

Amid growing uncertainty in global affairs, Cho also urged China to play a “constructive role” in curbing North Korea’s provocations and advancing the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, according to Seoul’s Foreign Ministry.

In response, Wang reiterated that Beijing’s position on the issue remains unchanged and offered assurances that China will continue to play a constructive role going forward, the ministry added.

Touching on rising tensions in the Yellow Sea, Cho stressed that Korea’s legitimate maritime rights and interests should not be undermined by China’s activities. Wang responded by emphasizing the importance of mutual respect in maritime matters and proposed continued dialogue on the issue.

Later in the day, Cho also held talks with Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi.

The two sides agreed to faithfully carry out commemorative events marking the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Seoul and Tokyo and shared the view that the current positive momentum in bilateral ties should be maintained and further strengthened.

Friday’s meeting preceded a trilateral foreign ministers’ summit involving Cho, Wang and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya scheduled for Saturday in Tokyo. It marks the first such meeting since November 2023, when Wang met with the predecessors of the other two in Korea’s port city of Busan.

The trilateral session is expected to assess progress in cooperation among the three nations and discuss a possible summit of their leaders, which Japan is expected to host later this year.

Cho is also set to hold bilateral talks with his Japanese counterpart, with preparations for the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic normalization in June high on the agenda.

In an interview with the Japanese daily Asahi Shimbun published Friday, Cho criticized the use of unresolved historical issues from Japan’s colonial rule for domestic political gain.

“The shared vision and efforts of politicians in both countries are crucial, yet I fear reality may fall short of expectations,” Cho said, citing former U.S. Sen. Arthur Vandenberg’s famous quote, “Politics stops at the water’s edge.”

He added, “If the Japanese people reach out with empathy for the pain our people carry from historical issues, I am confident that Koreans will respond by taking greater strides toward a [shared] future.”

Cho also addressed concerns that the United States, under a second Donald Trump administration, could demand an increase in Korea’s share of defense costs for U.S. troops stationed on the peninsula.

“If the United States makes such a request, we will persuasively present the scale and value of our comprehensive contributions to the alliance — including costs related to the stationing of U.S. forces — and seek a balanced solution,” he said.

Cho’s visit is his first to Tokyo since taking office in January 2024, and the first by a Korean foreign minister in that capacity since Park Jin’s trip there in July 2022.

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]