The presidential office said Thursday that a new joint declaration could be unveiled at the upcoming South Korea-Japan summit, potentially going beyond the landmark 1998 Kim Dae-jung-Obuchi statement.

Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung told reporters that President Lee Jae Myung’s remarks reflected “a strong will to improve bilateral ties both practically and in the national interest.”

She noted that Lee will be the first South Korean president since Syngman Rhee to travel to Japan ahead of the United States, calling this “a development of historic significance.”

Kang cautioned, however, that final coordination is still underway, and it remains unclear whether a joint statement will be issued or at what level.

On Lee’s comments that past agreements on wartime issues should not be overturned, Kang said they underscored a determination to face the past while moving toward the future.

She added that expressions of remorse or apologies from Japanese leaders would resonate only if conveyed sincerely, reflecting lingering public sentiment in South Korea.