Lee, Kan discuss FTA, North Korea and G20

TORONTO, Canada -- President Lee Myung-bak and Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Saturday agreed to continue efforts to resume talks for a bilateral free trade deal, which have been stalled since 2004, during a summit here.

In the first Korea-Japan summit since Kan took office early this month, the Japanese premier reaffirmed Tokyo’s support for Seoul’s stance on the sinking of the Cheonan and vowed to make efforts for a “new future” for the two countries without overlooking Japan’s past wrongdoings, Lee’s aides said.

The two leaders also discussed issues of mutual concern including the North Korean nuclear problem and agreed to cooperate for the successful hosting of the G20 summit in Seoul and the APEC summit in Yokohama in November.

Lee’s talks with Kan came after the Korean president’s summit with U.S. President Barack Obama, who also supports Seoul’s push for a U.N. Security Council action against the North. 

Lee also met with U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon before attending a welcoming ceremony of the G20 summit Saturday evening.

President Lee Myung-bak visits the Meadowvale Cemetery in Brampton near Toronto on Saturday to pay tribute to the Canadian soldiers who gave their lives in the 1950-53 Korean War. Yonhap News