"We believe such efforts by President Yoon should not be undermined no matter what," Ishiba said on Thursday during a parliamentary session, referring to Yoon's initiatives to strengthen Japan-South Korea cooperation since taking office in 2022.
The South Korean leader is confronting calls for impeachment from opposition parties after his unexpected Tuesday night declaration of martial law, which was swiftly reversed but triggered widespread protests across the democratic nation.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi expressed "grave concerns" over the developments in South Korea, while emphasizing that Tokyo would carefully evaluate its diplomatic approach based on how events unfold.
The crisis emerges at a critical juncture when both nations, along with the United States, are working to counter North Korea's expanding nuclear program and its deepening military collaboration with Russia amid the ongoing Ukraine conflict.
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