Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will host South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in Nara on January 13 to stabilize bilateral ties amid rising concerns over Chinese influence in Asia. The summit marks the first shuttle diplomacy under Takaichi's leadership. The leaders aim to build personal trust and address shared challenges including North Korea and U.S. policy shifts.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will host South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in her hometown of Nara on January 13 for their first full summit, aiming to stabilize ties between the two nations amid Japan's worsening relations with China. This meeting, the third between the leaders in less than three months since Takaichi took office, follows their sidebar talks at the October APEC summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, where Lee proposed the Nara venue. It represents the first instance of shuttle diplomacy under Takaichi's administration and Lee's second visit to Japan.
The discussions will focus on trade, challenges from China and North Korea, and navigating U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's unpredictable diplomacy. Both countries face pressure from the United States to boost defense spending. In a Monday interview with Japan's NHK television, Lee emphasized that while security cooperation is vital under the Japan-U.S.-South Korea trilateral framework, "what's really important is the issue of deep mutual trust." Takaichi posted on X: "I hope to further push forward Japan's relations with South Korea in the forward-looking way as we meet in the ancient capital of Nara with more than 1,300 years of history and longstanding cultural exchanges."
The summit occurs against a backdrop of heightened tensions with Beijing. Takaichi's November statement suggesting potential Japanese intervention in any Chinese military action against Taiwan has strained relations. Lee visited China a week prior, where Xi Jinping urged Seoul and Tokyo to join hands, referencing their shared history against Japan in World War II. Lee told reporters that "relations with Japan are as important as those with China for us" and expressed hopes for resolving Japan-China disputes, though acknowledging Seoul's limited role. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi stated on Friday: "Given the current strategic environment, strengthening Japan-South Korea relations and reinforcing the Japan-U.S.-South Korea cooperation is more important than ever."
Japan and South Korea share ancient cultural and religious ties to the Korean Peninsula, but modern relations have been marred by Japan's colonial rule from 1910 to 1945. A 1965 normalization treaty provided $500 million in aid, settling wartime compensation, yet issues like forced labor and sexual slavery persist. Ties have improved recently due to shared threats from China-U.S. rivalry and North Korea's nuclear advances. Lee told NHK: "While we face history squarely, we should cooperate on areas where we can, joining hands and moving forward into the future together."
Despite Takaichi's reputation as a security hawk and initial concerns over Lee's potential tilt toward North Korea and China, both have pursued better relations. She avoided praying at Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine for the August 15 anniversary, sending a religious ornament instead. The leaders may discuss humanitarian cooperation on remains from a 1942 undersea mining accident in western Japan that killed 180 workers, including 136 Korean forced laborers. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara noted ongoing talks for DNA analysis of remains found last year.
Following the talks, Takaichi and Lee are expected to visit Horyu-ji Temple, featuring some of the world's oldest wooden buildings from the late 7th or early 8th century, symbolizing Japan's adoption of Buddhism via the Korean Peninsula.
