Busan: President Lee Jae Myung is set to hold summit talks with outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in the southeastern city of Busan on Tuesday, marking the first visit by a Japanese leader to a location other than Seoul in more than two decades. Ishiba's two-day visit is a reciprocal trip following Lee's visit to Japan last month, symbolizing the restoration of "shuttle diplomacy" between the two nations.

According to Yonhap News Agency, this will be their third meeting after previous talks at the Group of Seven summit in Canada in June and Lee's visit to Tokyo in August. During their last summit, Lee proposed holding their next meeting in a South Korean city outside of Seoul. Ishiba's trip marks his first visit to South Korea since taking office in October last year and the first visit by a Japanese prime minister to a South Korean city other than Seoul in 21 years.

The agenda for the summit will include discussions on shared challenges such as demographic changes and regional revitalization. They will also explore future-oriented cooperation in areas like artificial intelligence and hydrogen energy, as stated by National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac. Although trade is not officially on the agenda, the leaders are anticipated to exchange views on trade matters, given Japan's recent trade deal with the United States and South Korea's ongoing negotiations on its own framework agreement reached in July.

Ishiba's visit is expected to be his final one to South Korea as prime minister, following his announcement of resignation earlier this month.