President Lee Jae Myung arrived in Japan's Nara Prefecture on January 13, 2026, to begin summit talks with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The leaders are expected to discuss bilateral ties and regional and global issues amid tensions between Tokyo and Beijing. The visit forms part of shuttle diplomacy to sustain recent improvements in relations.
President Lee Jae Myung arrived at Osaka Kansai Airport on January 13, 2026, accompanied by first lady Kim Hea Kyung, before heading to Nara Prefecture for summit talks with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The Cheong Wa Dae confirmed that the leaders began discussions on bilateral ties, regional security, and global issues amid escalating tensions between Tokyo and Beijing over Taiwan. This two-day visit to Takaichi's home prefecture continues the "shuttle diplomacy" to build on recent relational gains.
It is Lee's second trip to Japan since his August 2025 meeting with former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and his third encounter with Takaichi since her October 2025 inauguration. The pair previously met on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Gyeongju in late October and briefly at the Group of 20 summit in South Africa in November. The talks follow Lee's recent state visit to China for discussions with President Xi Jinping.
In a Monday interview with Japan's NHK, Lee emphasized that "relations with Japan are as important as relations with China" and stated that Taiwan tensions are not a matter Seoul will "engage in or intervene in." Key agenda items include South Korea's 2013 ban on seafood imports from eight Japanese prefectures due to post-2011 Fukushima radiation fears. Tokyo has pressed for lifting the restrictions, and Lee noted that easing them would require time to address public concerns but remains a priority for Seoul's bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
North Korea engagement is also anticipated, with both leaders interested in dialogue with Pyongyang. Lee welcomed Takaichi's intent to discuss abductions with Kim Jong Un and offered to facilitate Tokyo-Pyongyang talks toward diplomatic ties. On historical matters, the Lee administration's "two-track" policy balances future cooperation with addressing Japan's 1910–1945 colonial rule over Korea. National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac hopes the summit advances joint efforts to recover remains from the 1942 Chosei undersea coal mine flood in Yamaguchi Prefecture, which killed 136 Koreans.
On Wednesday, the leaders will join events including a visit to Horyuji Temple—home to the world's oldest wooden structures and Japan's first UNESCO World Heritage Site—before Lee meets Japan's Korean community and returns home.
