Japan, South Korea signal new era of engagement at Nara summit

The leaders of Japan and South Korea emphasized a commitment to deeper engagement in their bilateral relations during their second summit in three months on Tuesday. While expressing their intent to communicate and cooperate with both China and the US, they underscored that their relationship has entered a new era of profound involvement.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung highlighted the critical importance of trilateral cooperation with their shared ally, the US.

Speaking at a joint press conference following the summit, Takaichi stated, “The President and I reaffirmed our shared understanding of the strategic importance of Japan-South Korea relations and emphasized that both nations must work together to contribute to regional stability.”

Lee added, “We collectively recognized the importance of cooperation between South Korea and Japan, as well as the trilateral collaboration between South Korea, the US, and Japan, for the sake of regional peace and stability.”

In recent months, Seoul and Tokyo have sought to negotiate trade agreements to navigate the tariffs imposed by the administration of US President Donald Trump.

The summit between the Japanese and South Korean leaders follows President Lee Jae Myung’s meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping last week. Lee has shown a strong willingness to act as a mediator in repairing recently strained China-Japan relations.

Japan has experienced disruptions and heightened tensions in its relationship with China after Takaichi characterized a potential Chinese naval blockade of Taiwan as a threat to Japan’s “existence,” suggesting that Tokyo might intervene. Consequently, the Japan-China-South Korea trilateral summit, which Japan aimed to host in December, was postponed.

“I also emphasized that the three Northeast Asian nations—South Korea, China, and Japan—must find the broadest possible common ground and maintain communication for cooperation,” Lee said.

The two leaders agreed on the need for more comprehensive collaboration to deepen ties in areas such as supply chain protection, artificial intelligence, and intellectual property, as well as to jointly shape international norms. They announced that discussions between relevant authorities would be initiated to evaluate these cooperative measures.

The meeting was held in the historic city of Nara in western Japan. Both Lee and Takaichi repeatedly praised the ongoing rapprochement between the two historical rivals. In her opening remarks, Takaichi expressed her pleasure in hosting Lee in her hometown as part of this year’s first instance of “shuttle diplomacy.”

Lee noted during the opening, “This meeting is particularly meaningful as it takes place in Prime Minister Takaichi’s hometown. Within this complex and dizzying international order, we must move toward a new and better direction; therefore, cooperative South Korea-Japan relations are more important than ever.”

Lee further remarked, “It would be beneficial for South Korea and Japan to join hands and move toward a new future together by uniting the strength of our peoples.”

In his speech, Lee noted that approximately 12 million people currently travel between the two countries annually, suggesting that such interactions, particularly among the youth, are a vital way to build bonds. “Mutual understanding is the key to forward-looking South Korea-Japan relations,” he said.

On Wednesday, the two leaders are scheduled to visit the Horyuji Buddhist temple complex near Nara, renowned for housing the world’s oldest surviving wooden structures. Lee will later meet with Korean residents in Japan before returning to Seoul, according to his office.

Lee and Takaichi held their first official meeting in October during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Gyeongju, South Korea. During that meeting, they pledged to pursue “forward-looking relations” and to tackle common challenges together.

Since taking office last June, Lee has made positive relations with Japan a foreign policy priority. He held a summit with then-Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Tokyo in August, followed by hosting Ishiba in Busan the following month.

Throughout his meetings with Japanese counterparts, Lee has consistently maintained that global economic uncertainty necessitates close collaboration between Seoul and Tokyo. In a statement released Tuesday, Lee’s office said, “In a rapidly changing international environment, we expect bilateral cooperation on global and regional issues, including Korean Peninsula affairs, to strengthen through close communication between the two leaders.”

Prior to Tuesday’s meeting, Takaichi wrote on X, “I want to further advance our forward-looking bilateral relationship by steadily implementing shuttle diplomacy, which means the two neighboring countries regularly hold meetings in each other’s nations.”