South Korean president eyes Japan visit in late Aug. to meet PM Ishiba
Ishiba and Lee, who would be making his first visit to Japan since taking office in early June, are expected to agree to maintain close communication to help stabilize bilateral ties often strained by wartime history and territorial disputes, according to the sources.
They are also likely to affirm security collaboration both bilaterally and trilaterally with the United States in the face of challenges such as North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, the sources said.
Other summit topics could include the growing military partnership between North Korea and Russia in the context of the war in Ukraine, as well as Pyongyang's malicious cyber activities that include cryptocurrency theft, the sources said.
Lee is expected to stop in Japan on his way to the United States to meet with President Donald Trump, the sources added.
Ishiba and Lee first met in person in mid-June in Canada on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit, which Lee joined as a guest, and confirmed their commitment to "shuttle diplomacy," or regular reciprocal visits of leaders.
Japan and South Korea, marking the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties, have seen their relations improve since the inauguration in 2022 of Lee's predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol.
Under Yoon, the practice of mutually visiting each other's country resumed, with then Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida making a trip to South Korea the following year.
Last month, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun visited Japan as his first foreign trip destination since becoming the country's top diplomat earlier in July, holding talks with his Japanese counterpart Takeshi Iwaya in Tokyo.
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