Japan’s top diplomat is set to visit South Korea for a two-day visit from Tuesday, his first trip to South Korea since taking the post last August, a diplomatic source said Monday.

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono will meet his South Korean counterpart Kang Kyung-wha on Wednesday, the source said on condition of anonymity.

The foreign ministers plan to exchange views on matters of mutual concern, such as bilateral relations, North Korea and its nuclear weapons programs, according to the source.

Kono’s visit comes weeks before South Korean President Moon Jae-in is scheduled to hold a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on April 27, and US President Donald Trump’s summit with Kim in May.

Concerns are lingering in Japan that the diplomatic drive led by South Korea, North Korea and the US could fail to meet its security concerns and interests as it is sidelined in the denuclearization talks.

The last time Japan’s top diplomat visited South Korea was in December 2015 when the two countries struck a deal over Japan’s wartime sexual enslavement of Korean women at front-line brothels. 

(laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)