South Korean President Lee Jae Myung arrived in Japan on Saturday for talks aimed at strengthening security cooperation before his scheduled summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday.
This marks Lee’s first official visit to Japan since taking office in June. He is set to meet Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Tokyo to discuss regional security and closer trilateral coordination with the United States under an existing defense pact, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
Lee’s snap election victory, which followed the impeachment of former conservative leader Yoon Suk Yeol, initially raised concerns in Tokyo over a possible shift in Seoul’s foreign policy. Lee has previously criticized reconciliation efforts, pointing to unresolved historical grievances stemming from Japan’s 1910–1945 colonial rule of Korea.
Tensions resurfaced last week when Seoul expressed “deep disappointment and regret” over Japanese officials’ visit to a controversial war shrine in Tokyo. Despite these strains, Lee has voiced support for stronger ties, including during his first encounter with Ishiba at a G7 summit in Canada earlier this year.
Both Japan and South Korea remain key U.S. allies in countering China’s growing influence, hosting nearly 80,000 American troops, along with U.S. naval and air assets in the region. In Washington, Lee and Trump are expected to address issues ranging from North Korea’s nuclear threat to Seoul’s financial contribution for U.S. forces stationed in South Korea — a matter Trump has repeatedly pressed.
The two Asian neighbors also share common ground on trade, having agreed to a 15% tariff deal with Washington after Trump threatened higher duties.
