Tokyo: President Lee Jae Myung is set to engage in summit talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Saturday, aiming to enhance cooperation with Tokyo ahead of his significant meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump early next week.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Saturday summit with Ishiba precedes Lee's planned visit to Washington for high-stakes discussions with Trump. This diplomatic move is notably uncommon for South Korean presidents, who traditionally prioritize Washington, a major defense ally, as their initial diplomatic destination post-inauguration.
This upcoming meeting marks Lee's second face-to-face interaction with Ishiba, following their previous encounter during the Group of Seven summit in Canada in June. In a joint written interview with four Japanese newspapers-Asahi Shimbun, Mainichi Shimbun, Nikkei, and Sankei Shimbun-released earlier, Lee expressed his desire to bolster cooperation with Japan in security and economic sectors.
Lee emphasized his Tokyo visit as a chance to fortify the foundation for "future-oriented" relations, coinciding with the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties between the countries. He highlighted the multifaceted nature of Korea-Japan relations, stating, "Korea-Japan relations simultaneously contain aspects of confrontation, cooperation and mutual tolerance. What's important is to identify as many mutually beneficial elements as possible."
On Sunday, Lee plans to meet with Japanese lawmakers before departing for Washington, where his summit with Trump is scheduled for the next day. While the focus is on enhancing bilateral cooperation, issues such as South Korea's ban on seafood imports from eight Japanese prefectures near Fukushima remain sensitive topics. The ban was imposed after the 2011 nuclear disaster, and Tokyo has persistently urged Seoul to lift these restrictions.
Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung addressed whether this issue might be resolved, stating that both sides are coordinating on matters critical to national interest or those that could raise public concern. "On issues that cause public concern or could undermine the national interest, we will do our utmost to ensure our response is in line with the national interest and does not run counter to the people's concerns," Kang said during a briefing in Tokyo.