0
President Lee Jae-myung shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba during a Korea-Japan summit at the G7 venue in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada, on June 17. / Source: Yonhap News

President Lee Jae-myung will visit Tokyo on August 23 for his first official trip to Japan since taking office, where he will hold a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. The meeting will take place ahead of the Korea-U.S. summit scheduled for August 25 in Washington, D.C.

Presidential spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung announced during a briefing at the Yongsan presidential office on August 13 that “prior to his U.S. visit, President Lee will travel to Japan from August 23 to 24 to hold a Korea-Japan summit and attend a dinner meeting with Prime Minister Ishiba.”

Kang said the talks will “solidify the foundation for future-oriented cooperation between the two countries, while also discussing ways to strengthen Korea-Japan and Korea-U.S.-Japan trilateral cooperation, as well as regional peace, stability, and global issues in an open and candid manner.”

She added that the two leaders had agreed in June to promptly resume “shuttle diplomacy” and expressed hope that “this visit will further deepen their personal ties and mutual trust.”

With the visit confirmed, shuttle diplomacy between Seoul and Tokyo is set to officially resume. Lee and Ishiba last met on June 17 in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada, on the sidelines of the G7 summit, where they reaffirmed their commitment to restarting the diplomatic exchange.