Lee, Ishiba back 3-way cooperation with US in 1st phone talks
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba agreed that the trilateral partnership among Seoul, Tokyo and Washington could serve as a key framework for responding to geopolitical crises, according to Lee's office on Monday.
'The two leaders also reviewed the achievements of past South Korea-US-Japan cooperation and agreed to continue efforts to respond to various geopolitical crises within the framework of trilateral collaboration,' Lee's spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said.
They also discussed ways to strengthen bilateral ties to explore a mutually beneficial partnership in the first phone conversation since Lee's presidential election win the previous week.
In a 25-minute phone call that started at noon Monday, Lee and Ishiba agreed to meet in person in the future to discuss issues of mutual interest, including ways to develop bilateral ties, Kang said.
According to Kang, Lee highlighted the growing importance of the bilateral ties between South Korea and Japan in the face of current challenges that could be strategically addressed.
Kang also said that Lee expressed his anticipation that the two countries could "explore ways to deal with common challenges in the future and seek co-prosperity from the perspective of mutual interests."
Marking the 60th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties, the two leaders pledged to strengthen communications between the authorities, Kang said, adding the two agreed to solidify bilateral ties on the foundation of mutual respect and trust.
Both Lee and Ishiba are expected to attend the Group of Seven summit in Canada soon. Plans for a possible in-person meeting of Lee and Ishiba on the sidelines of the multilateral summit have yet to be announced by Seoul as of press time.
Under ousted former President Yoon Suk Yeol, the relationship between South Korea and Japan has thawed as Yoon had sought to leave historical grievances in the past. The thawing relations boosted people-to-people exchange to a record level, as the all-time-high 11.25 million passengers were estimated to have flown between South Korea and Japan during the first five months of 2025.
While Yoon touted the close ties with Japan as an effort to "overcome the painful past," Lee, who was then the leader of the liberal opposition party, had long criticized Yoon for his "humiliating" approach to diplomacy.
In a congratulatory message to Lee over his election win, Ishiba noted that he hoped for a "renewed relations after years of strain between the two countries," expressing his intention to work together on issues of security, historical reconciliation and regional stability.
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