Lee Jae-myung to Visit Japan First, Hold Korea–Japan Summit Before Meeting Trump in U.S.

President Lee Jae-myung will visit Japan on the 23rd–24th for a summit and dinner with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, the presidential office announced on the 13th. After that, he will travel to the United States to hold a Korea–U.S. summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., on the 25th. This will be the first time since his inauguration that the Korean president will hold a Korea–Japan summit before a Korea–U.S. one. Visiting Japan before the U.S. is also considered unusual, and is seen as reflecting President Lee’s commitment to Korea–Japan cooperation.

This Japan visit is also significant as it fulfills the pledge made during their meeting at the G7 summit in Canada last June to resume “shuttle diplomacy.” The presidential office stated, “We expect the personal bonds and trust between the two leaders to deepen,” adding that they will exchange views on strengthening Korea–Japan–U.S. cooperation, as well as peace and stability in the region, and other regional and global issues.

The Japanese Prime Minister’s Office also commented on the summit, saying, “Japan and Korea are important neighboring countries that must cooperate as partners on various issues in the international community. In the current strategic environment, the importance of Korea–Japan and Japan–U.S.–Korea cooperation is increasing, and under these circumstances, the two countries will maintain close communication, including through shuttle diplomacy.”