President Lee planning visit to Japan next month, says ruling party official
Published: 08 Dec. 2025, 21:49
![President Lee Jae Myung, right, speaks with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi ahead of their pull-aside meeting held on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Nov. 23. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/12/08/ddf89b34-1782-474d-97c9-70c7015b894c.jpg)
President Lee Jae Myung, right, speaks with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi ahead of their pull-aside meeting held on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Nov. 23. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
President Lee Jae Myung is preparing to visit Japan next month for a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, according to a ruling party official on Monday.
Diplomatic authorities from both countries are reportedly coordinating details for a one-night, two-day trip to Japan in mid-January. The meeting would mark the fifth Korea-Japan summit since the start of Lee’s administration.
Nara, the prime minister’s hometown and parliamentary constituency, is being considered as the venue for the talks.
President Lee last met Takaichi in October during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang. At the time, Lee said to Takaichi, “In the spirit of 'shuttle diplomacy,' it’s my turn to visit Japan,” and expressed his hope to meet “not in Tokyo, but in a regional city.”
“In line with the principle of shuttle diplomacy, I told Prime Minister Takaichi I hope to visit Nara next — and she gladly welcomed the idea," Lee told reporters at a press conference following the APEC summit.
The proposed visit would continue the pattern of back-and-forth diplomacy that has taken shape between the two countries in recent months. Lee met then-Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Tokyo in August, then hosted him in Busan in September — all part of the effort to revitalize Korea-Japan relations through frequent exchanges outside the capitals.
Separately, the Korean government is also exploring the possibility of arranging a summit between President Lee and Chinese President Xi Jinping in the near future. Xi’s attendance at the APEC summit in Gyeongju last month — his first state visit to Korea in years — is widely seen as a step toward restoring bilateral ties.
Officials say a visit to China by President Lee could also help expedite the normalization of relations and reinforce Korea’s diplomatic balance in Northeast Asia, especially amid escalating tensions between China and Japan over Taiwan. However, a visit to China is expected to take place after Lee’s trip to Japan.
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 YOON SUNG-MIN [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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