Home > National > Diplomacy

President Lee arrives in Japan for summit with Takaichi

Published: 13 Jan. 2026, 12:09 Updated: 13 Jan. 2026, 12:18

President Lee Jae Myung, right, and first lady Kim Hea Kyung are seen as they depart for Japan from Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, on Jan. 13. [JOINT PRESS COPRS]

President Lee Jae Myung arrived at Kansai International Airport on Tuesday to hold a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, accompanied by first lady Kim Hea Kyung.

Lee headed straight to Nara, Takaichi’s hometown, where he is scheduled to hold a series of events, including the one-on-one summit with Takaichi and a joint press briefing.

This is Lee’s fifth summit with a Japanese leader since taking office and his second with Takaichi, who became prime minister following the resignation of her predecessor, Shigeru Ishiba. Lee and Takaichi last met in late October 2025 in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang, on the sidelines of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting.

The meeting in Nara has drawn international attention as it comes amid rapidly deteriorating China-Japan relations following Takaichi’s remarks about Japan's possible involvement in a Taiwan contingency and China’s restrictions on rare earth exports to Japan.

Lee’s visit comes just six days after he returned from a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

During the summit, Lee and Takaichi are expected to discuss ways to strengthen practical cooperation across a range of areas directly tied to public livelihoods, such as regional and global issues, as well as other economic, social and cultural matters.

On Wednesday morning, the second day of his visit, Lee and Takaichi will attend a friendship event that includes a visit to Horyuji Temple, a historic cultural site. In the afternoon, Lee is scheduled to meet with Korean residents in Japan before returning home.

The Blue House said the visit is expected to not only realize an early bilateral visit following Takaichi’s inauguration but also reinforce shuttle diplomacy and solidify the foundation for a forward-looking and stable Korea-Japan relationship.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY CHO MUN-GYU [[email protected]]