The Japanese and South Korean governments have set the stage for the first face-to-face summit to be held between Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday in Tokyo, coinciding with the start of the Tokyo Olympics.
The meeting is scheduled to be conducted at the State Guest House, Akasaka Palace, where the two leaders are expected to discuss issues related to the former comfort women and requisitioned workers from the Korean Peninsula.
Ahead of Moon's visit to Japan to attend the Olympics opening ceremony, the Japanese government has been poised to remove Hirohisa Soma from his post as deputy ambassador at the Japanese Embassy in South Korea, over controversial remarks he made to local media.
The incident came to light last Friday, when South Korean broadcaster JTBC TV reported that a high-ranking official at the Japanese Embassy had characterized Moon's stance on Japan as "self-righteous" and "masturbatory," in conversation with one of its reporters.
The Japanese government has acknowledged that the official was Soma and is intent on ensuring the remarks do not hinder the summit talks. A senior government official said, "The remarks were inappropriate for a diplomat."
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