SEOUL, Jan 13 (NationPress) The top diplomats from South Korea and Japan convened on Monday for discussions that were anticipated to concentrate on maintaining a positive trajectory in their bilateral relations and bolstering trilateral cooperation with the United States, ahead of the inauguration of Donald Trump's second administration.

This meeting represented the first direct interaction between Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya since South Korea became mired in political turmoil due to President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment over his brief imposition of martial law.

A joint press conference was scheduled to follow the discussions, with Cho also hosting a dinner for Iwaya and his team.

Prior to meeting Cho, Iwaya paid his respects at Seoul National Cemetery and held discussions with National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik regarding bilateral relations.

Iwaya's two-day visit to Seoul marks the first occasion a Japanese foreign minister has visited in nearly seven years. He was expected to pay a courtesy visit to acting President Choi Sang-mok on Tuesday.

The discussions on Monday were anticipated to reaffirm their dedication to trilateral cooperation with the US, their mutual ally, as Trump's second term, which begins on January 20, brings uncertainties about the future of their partnership, particularly due to his skepticism towards multilateral engagements.

The historic Camp David trilateral summit occurred in August 2023 with the leaders of the three nations, but both Washington and Tokyo have new leaders, while Seoul is currently under the leadership of an acting president.

In terms of bilateral relations, the ministers were likely to explore ways to sustain the positive momentum in ties that have notably improved since Yoon took office.

Last March, Yoon declared that South Korea would compensate its victims of Japan's wartime forced labor without any contributions from responsible Japanese firms.

This decision facilitated the resumption of shuttle diplomacy, characterized by regular exchanges between the leaders of both nations, as well as interactions at governmental and private sector levels, as reported by Yonhap news agency.

The two parties were also expected to reaffirm their commitment to preparing for the 60th anniversary of the normalization of bilateral relations this year, regardless of the political circumstances in South Korea.

Additionally, the ministers were likely to consider strategies to facilitate a proposed trilateral summit involving China, with Japan set to host this year’s three-way meeting.

Iwaya's visit, which follows outgoing US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's trip to Seoul last week, can be interpreted as a reinforcement of South Korea's national stability in the face of political upheaval.

Both Japan and the United States have expressed their confidence in South Korea and its democratic processes.

Cho and Iwaya last engaged in dialogue during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Peru last November.

Iwaya's current four-day tour will also include visits to the Philippines and Palau.