'Next Prime Minister of Japan' Koizumi Meets with Foreign Minister

[Financial News] Koizumi Shinjiro, Japan's Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, visited Korea on the 9th to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Food Security Ministerial Meeting and the Trilateral Agricultural Ministers' Meeting of Korea, China, and Japan. On the 11th, he will also meet with Foreign Minister Cho Hyun.
According to diplomatic sources, Minister Cho and Minister Koizumi are scheduled to meet at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building on this day to broadly discuss issues such as tariffs negotiations with the US, trade in agricultural and marine products, and cooperation between the two countries. 
It is unusual for the Foreign Minister to meet with the head of another country's department when there are no special issues. Minister Koizumi is likely to request the lifting of Korea's import restrictions on Japanese seafood. In a press conference held in Japan before his visit on the 8th, he expressed his intention to urge the lifting of Korea's import restrictions on Japanese seafood, stating that he plans to exchange opinions on various issues between the two countries, including trade issues, with Minister Cho. Korea has banned the import of seafood from eight prefectures around the Fukushima nuclear power plant since September 2013.
An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated about the meeting between Minister Koizumi and Minister Cho "The government is promoting various high-level exchanges to build a more solid and mature Korea-Japan relationship," adding "This meeting is also part of that effort." Regarding whether the issue of import restrictions on Japanese seafood will be discussed at the meeting, he said, "This is a matter of interest to the Japanese side," and "We will respond appropriately according to our basic stance."
The two are also expected to discuss the Korea-Japan summit, which is anticipated to take place on the 23rd. On the 8th, Japan's Asahi Shimbun reported, "President Lee Jae-myung is coordinating a schedule to visit Tokyo, Japan on the 23rd to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru." If President Lee visits Japan this time, it will be his first visit since taking office, and the 'shuttle diplomacy' between the leaders of the two countries will also resume.
Minister Koizumi is the second son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and is a prominent candidate for the next president of the Liberal Democratic Party. In a JNN poll conducted in Japan on the 2nd and 3rd, he ranked first in preference for the next prime minister (20.4%), and he gained public support by deciding to release reserve rice early in response to the surge in rice prices, earning the nickname 'Rice Minister.'
whywani@fnnews.com Hong Chae-wan Reporter