Tokyo: President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba commenced summit discussions on Saturday, as confirmed by the presidential office, with Lee aiming to enhance collaboration with Tokyo before his critical meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump scheduled for early next week.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the discussions began at Ishiba's official residence in Tokyo, starting with a small group of key officials and later expanding to a larger session. This summit precedes Lee's visit to Washington for significant talks with Trump, marking a rare diplomatic move for South Korean presidents, who traditionally prioritize the United States, a major defense ally, for their initial diplomatic visits after assuming office.

This meeting marks Lee's second face-to-face interaction with Ishiba, following their meeting at the Group of Seven summit in Canada in June. In a joint written interview released earlier that day with four Japanese newspapers, Lee expressed his intent to bolster cooperation with Japan in security and economic domains. He described his visit to Tokyo as an opportunity to reinforce "future-oriented" relations, coinciding with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic normalization between the two countries.

Lee emphasized the complex nature of Korea-Japan relations, which encompass confrontation, cooperation, and mutual tolerance. He advocated for identifying and leveraging mutually beneficial aspects, despite existing challenges. On Sunday, Lee is set to meet with Japanese lawmakers before heading to Washington for the summit with Trump the following day.

While the primary focus of the summit is on expanding bilateral cooperation, contentious issues persist, such as South Korea's ban on seafood imports from eight Japanese prefectures near Fukushima, a measure enacted after the 2011 nuclear disaster. Japan has consistently urged South Korea to lift these restrictions.

Addressing whether this issue would be discussed, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung stated that both sides are coordinating on matters of national interest and public concern. Kang assured that their response would align with national interest and public sentiment, as conveyed during a briefing in Tokyo.