Tokyo: President Lee Jae Myung is set to wrap up his two-day visit to Japan on Sunday and travel to Washington, D.C., for a high-stakes summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. In Tokyo, Lee and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba held summit talks on Saturday during which they agreed to deepen cooperation to address shifting global trade and security dynamics and to strengthen trilateral ties with the United States.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee emphasized that his decision to make Japan the first diplomatic destination for a bilateral summit since taking office underscores his focus on ties with a "neighbor sharing the front yard" and an "indispensable partner." Before departing, Lee plans to meet with Japanese lawmakers and is expected to arrive in Washington later in the day.

In Washington, Lee is scheduled to hold his first in-person meeting with Trump at the White House, where discussions are anticipated to concentrate on trade and security issues. This follows a tariff deal struck between Seoul and Washington in late July. Lee is expected to face a pivotal foreign policy test as the Trump administration seeks to "modernize" the alliance with South Korea. This process could involve higher South Korean defense spending and a realignment of U.S. Forces Korea amid Washington's efforts to counter an increasingly assertive China.

The two leaders are also expected to finalize details of the broad trade agreement that lowered the U.S. "reciprocal" tariffs on Korean goods to 15 percent from 25 percent. This reduction comes in return for Seoul's $350 billion investment pledges and other commitments. Following the White House talks, Lee will attend a business roundtable with top corporate executives from both countries and deliver a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Additionally, Lee plans to visit Hanwha Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia, which is seen as a symbol of bilateral shipbuilding cooperation, before returning to Seoul.