President Lee Myung-bak (right) and Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama in New York on Wednesday (Sept. 23).

Korean President Lee Myung-bak met with new Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama in New York on Wednesday (Sept. 23, local time) and discussed pending issues between the two countries, reconfirming cooperation in dealing with North Korean nuclear issues.

The two leaders had already met with each other at the Korea-Japan summit talks on Sept. 16. President Lee called for the two countries'' joint efforts to build close, confident ties. “I believe Prime Minister Hatoyama is capable of it and I, too, am ready to take that role,” Lee said, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Lee Dong-kwan later.

Prime Minister Hatoyama responded that his Democratic Party is ready to face the hurdles of history and expressed his wish to create constructive and future-oriented relations between Korea and Japan down the road. Japan''s forced annexation of Korea in the early half of the 20th century left many scars and hard feelings between the two countries. 

“Given the inseparable relations between Korea and Japan the two countries must come together to resolve not just bilateral issues but other Asian and world issues,” Hatoyama said, listing the global issues such as the economy and climate change.

The two sides also confirmed close coordination in resolving the North Korean nuclear issue, along with other member nations of the six-party talks.

“The denuclearization of Korean Peninsula as well as that of Asia will take same time but let''s make efforts to make the region a starting point of non-proliferation around the world,” Hatoyama said. Further adding that Japan can''t help but feel concerned about the North''s development of nuclear and long-term missiles, Hatoyama went on to say that while it would be desirable to resolve things through dialogue alone, one cannot completely rule out possible sanctions and pressure through concerted efforts if need be.
“Japan has the leading economy sans nuclear and therefore has every right to call for non-proliferation,” Hatoyama said. “Right now North Korea shows no actual sign of giving up its nuclear armaments.” he further pointed out.

“South Korea will not stand opposed to N.K.-U.S. bilateral talks, if it helps to bring the North back to the six-party table and give up on nuclear weapons,” Lee reiterated, readily agreeing with his Japanese counterpart''s resolve that the nuclear issue should be resolved at all cost.

Spokesman Lee Dong-kwan later said that the two leaders saw completely eye-to-eye with each other on the North''s nuclear issue, describing the mood of the 35-minute talks as friendly. Hatoyama also asked for Korea''s support of Tokyo hosting the 2016 Olympic Games and President Lee expressed gratitude for Japan''s support of Korea to hold the next G20 summit.

Also present at the meeting were Korean Foreign Affairs Minister Yu Myung-hwan; Sagong Il, head of the planning committee for the G20; South Korea''s Ambassador to the United Nations Park In-kook, Japan''s Foreign Minister Okada Katsuya; Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yorihisa Matsuno and more.