00:02South Korean President Lee Jae-myung welcomes Japan's visiting Prime Minister
00:06Takaichi Sanae. She's here in Lee's hometown of Andong, a follow-up to his
00:10own January visit to Takaichi's hometown. There's a lot on the agenda, but one key
00:16issue decided is an agreement to cooperate further on getting energy
00:20supplies. War in the Middle East has choked off much of the world's oil and
00:24gas supply, and with South Korea getting around 70% of its crude from the region,
00:29and Japan 95%, the pinch is serious.
00:35We agreed to expand LNG cooperation between our two countries and also deepening
00:41information sharing and communication channels regarding crude oil supply and stockpiling.
00:48Another major point on the agenda was security, specifically regarding nuclear-armed North
00:53Korea. South Korea's Lee envisions peaceful coexistence, while Takaichi says trilateral
00:59cooperation, including the U.S., will continue.
01:03Regarding North Korea, we affirm that we will respond closely in coordination through Korea-Japan
01:09and Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation, including on missile issues.
01:15How Japan's government deals with security challenges is something Japanese voters are watching.
01:21On Tuesday, tens of thousands of protesters gathered outside the legislature, voicing concerns about
01:27Japan's military role in the world, the preservation of its post-war pacifist constitution, and a recent
01:33bill expanding Japanese arms sales.
01:37Japan decided to allow weapons exports, and I'm not sure that's even constitutional. It really worries me
01:44that these kinds of decisions are being made without the public knowing, and things are just moving
01:49forward on their own. I feel a strong sense of crisis about it, and keep thinking about how it could
01:55be
01:55stopped. It's honestly pretty scary.
01:58Some here see long-standing unease about Japan's possible role in wars spreading through the public.
02:06Actually, 11 years ago in 2015, when the Abe administration pushed through the security
02:11legislation, it also came here in front of the national diet. But back then, most of the people
02:17were older, mainly elderly people. Now it's different. There are a lot more young people,
02:23especially women.
02:26The debate over Japanese pacifism is not new. But under Takahichi's government, these protesters feel
02:32a mounting urgency, even if ties with some of Japan's neighbors are growing stronger.
02:38Howard Zhang and John Van Trieste for Taiwan Plus.
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