Japan and South Korea plan to allow young people to obtain working holiday visas twice, instead of just once at present, so they can work and live in each other's countries longer, Japanese government officials said Thursday.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung are expected to agree on the matter at a summit meeting in Tokyo on Saturday.
The two countries aim to expand exchanges to deepen mutual understanding as this year marks the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties between them.
The working holiday program between Japan and South Korea started in 1999, allowing people between the ages of 18 and 25 to stay in each other's countries for up to a year.
The Japanese government issued 21,963 working holiday visas in 2024. Of them, the biggest number, 7,444 were granted to South Koreans, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.
Of the 30 countries and regions with which Japan has working holiday programs, the government lets citizens of eight countries, including Britain and Canada, apply twice.
The Japanese government is expected to conclude such an arrangement with Taiwan as early as this year as part of efforts to expand the measure gradually.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.