Tokyo: President Lee Jae Myung of South Korea and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba have agreed to enhance bilateral relations and boost trilateral cooperation with the United States, ahead of President Lee's upcoming summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. This significant meeting marks Lee's first bilateral summit since assuming office in June, with Tokyo being an unusual first destination for a South Korean leader, who typically visits Washington first.
According to Yonhap News Agency, President Lee's visit to Japan underscores his "pragmatic" foreign policy approach amidst growing uncertainties in security alliances and trade relationships with the United States. Both South Korea and Japan are major economic powers and U.S. treaty allies, making their alignment increasingly crucial. The meeting produced the first joint statement from a Seoul-Tokyo summit in 17 years, emphasizing the importance of steadfast bilateral relations and South Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation in a rapidly evolving international landscape.
National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac highlighted Washington's interest in closer ties between Seoul and Tokyo, noting that such collaboration would positively impact trilateral cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. Both nations, as significant exporters to the U.S., face mounting pressure to increase defense spending and contribute more to the costs of stationing American troops, while also dealing with vulnerabilities in their auto and semiconductor industries due to potential U.S. tariff hikes.
President Lee's visit coincides with the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries, providing an opportunity to strengthen "future-oriented" ties. The leaders agreed to engage in regular meetings through "shuttle diplomacy," with Prime Minister Ishiba expected to visit South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju later this month.
While cooperation was a focal point, the leaders briefly addressed historical issues without delving into sensitive topics such as wartime forced labor and former sex slaves, known as "comfort women." President Lee has expressed a commitment to honoring past agreements on these matters while seeking to expand cooperation under the principle of facing the past while moving forward.
Prime Minister Ishiba pledged to uphold previous administrations' historical positions, referencing a 1998 declaration by former leaders of both nations. He recently expressed "remorse" for Japan's wartime past, though he did not reiterate an explicit apology.
Contentious topics like South Korea's ban on seafood imports from Japanese prefectures near Fukushima were not formally discussed, though briefly mentioned. President Lee emphasized the need to restore Korean public trust in Japanese seafood, with Tokyo urging Seoul to lift the restrictions.