hankyoreh

National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director Park Jie-won (Hankyoreh photo archives)

Park Jie-won, director of South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, met with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga while visiting Japan for a trilateral meeting with his American and Japanese counterparts. Park reportedly conveyed a verbal message from South Korean President Moon Jae-in during his meeting with Suga.

A key official from South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party told the Hankyoreh over the phone Thursday about Park’s meeting with Suga the previous day.

“I’m told that Park relayed a verbal message that he’d received from Moon in advance,” the official said.

According to the official, the message expressed hopes for cooperation and improved relations between the two countries.

“Suga apparently responded positively to Moon’s message and suggested that the two sides keep working on those issues,” the official said.

Park and Suga also reportedly discussed the possibility of North Korea competing in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics.

The mood of Park and Suga’s meeting was reportedly cordial. This was their second time to meet, following an earlier conference in November of last year.

“There’s been a stronger emphasis on trilateral cooperation between South Korea, the US, and Japan during the US’s review of North Korea policy following the inauguration of Joe Biden. That seems to be why the Japanese have adopted a more amicable stance,” the Democratic Party official said.

By Noh Ji-won, staff reporter

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