Japan-S. Korea Summit Set for Tues. in Takaichi's Home Prefecture

The visit is part of the two countries' "shuttle" diplomacy, or mutual visits by their leaders, and Takaichi hopes to build rapport with the South Korean leader by welcoming him to her home prefecture.

Tokyo is seeking to strengthen ties with South Korea amid the deteriorating security environment around Japan, with China, Russia and North Korea deepening their mutual ties.

According to the announcement by the South Korean government, Lee will arrive in Nara on Tuesday afternoon.

Later in the day, Takaichi and Lee will hold a summit in the prefecture, to be followed by a joint press conference and a dinner party.

They are expected to discuss responses to China, which is ramping up pressure on Japan, and measures to strengthen Japan-South Korea cooperation in the field of economic security, among other things.

On Wednesday, the two leaders will visit the Horyuji temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site, in the town of Ikaruga in Nara, according to Seoul.

Lee will then meet with South Koreans living in Japan in the afternoon, before flying back to his country.

This will be the second Takaichi-Lee meeting.

Their first was held in the South Korean city of Gyeongju late last October, during which Lee expressed his hopes to visit Nara.

Lee previously visited Japan in August last year.

He took office in June 2025, and Takaichi in October.

The South Korean presidential office said that the upcoming visit is expected to solidify the foundations for the development of future-oriented and stable bilateral relations by leveraging the essence of shuttle diplomacy.

With its relationship with China deteriorating following Takaichi's remark on a potential Taiwan contingency, Tokyo hopes to boost its ties with Seoul.

A senior official at the prime minister's office said, "Close cooperation between Japan and South Korea, and among the two nations plus the United States, is extremely important."

"We believe that the two leaders can have frank discussions on further developing Japan-South Korea relations," Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told a press conference Friday, touching on the upcoming Takaichi-Lee summit.

South Korea is heavily dependent on China on the economic front, meaning that it could be risky for Seoul to lean excessively toward Tokyo in terms of its relations with Beijing.

In this context, a senior official of Japan's Foreign Ministry said, "The South Korean president's visit to Japan, while there are risks, will be of great significance."

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]