Historic State Honor Planned for Japanese Civic Group South Korea’s interior minister Yun Ho‑jung announced a plan to award the Association to Etch the Calamity of the Under Sea Coal Mine Disaster into History, the first state‑level decoration ever given to a Japanese civic organization since Korea’s liberation, with a ceremony slated for next month in Japan [1]. The group, founded in 1991, helped retrieve four bone fragments—including a skull—from the 1942 Chosei undersea coal‑mine disaster site last August, assisted by Korean divers Kim Kyung‑soo and Kim Soo‑eun [1]. The award proposal is linked to a newly reached bilateral DNA‑analysis agreement aimed at identifying the recovered remains [1].

Lee’s Nara Summit Links Economic Cooperation and Historical Reconciliation President Lee Jae Myung met Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Nara, where they pledged deeper economic ties, cooperation on supply‑chain resilience, artificial‑intelligence development, and cultural exchange [2][3]. The leaders also discussed South Korea’s CPTPP accession bid, expressed cautious optimism about lifting Japan’s seafood import bans, and framed the talks as part of shuttle diplomacy to institutionalize high‑level engagement [2][3]. Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and coordinated North‑Korea policy were highlighted as joint priorities, underscoring a trilateral vision that includes the United States [3][4].

DNA Testing Agreed for 1942 Chosei Mine Remains Both governments committed to conduct DNA analysis on the remains recovered from the Chosei undersea coal‑mine flood that killed 183 workers, including 136 Korean forced laborers, last August [2][3][4][5]. The four bone fragments, retrieved through the Japanese civic group’s effort, will be examined to confirm identities and potentially return them to families, a step described as “small but meaningful progress” on historical issues [2][5]. Working‑level consultations will flesh out the technical details of the testing program [4].

Broader Cooperation Targets AI, IP, Crime and Regional Stability The summit produced agreements to launch working‑level talks on artificial intelligence and intellectual‑property rights, simplify entry procedures, promote school exchanges, and recognize technical qualifications mutually [4]. Leaders also pledged joint action against transnational crimes such as online scams through a Korea‑led consultative body [4]. Emphasizing a shifting global order, Lee called for expanded trilateral cooperation with Japan and China and reinforced coordination with the United States to maintain regional peace [3][4].