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South Korean President Lee Jae-myung shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi before their first summit at the APEC venue in Gyeongju on October 30. / Source: Yonhap News

President Lee Jae-myung called for stronger “future-oriented cooperation” between South Korea and Japan during his first summit with new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Gyeongju on October 30, saying the two neighbors must “work together more closely than ever before.”

“The world is changing rapidly, and Korea and Japan are neighboring countries with much in common,” Lee said, emphasizing joint efforts to tackle shared challenges such as the U.S.-China trade conflict, North Korea’s advancing nuclear capabilities, and growing trilateral ties among Pyongyang, Beijing and Moscow.

The meeting took place at the HICO Convention Center in Gyeongju, where the 2025 APEC summit is being held. Takaichi, who took office on October 21 as Japan’s first female prime minister, arrived in Korea for a three-day visit to attend the summit.

Lee congratulated Takaichi on her historic appointment, noting that her remarks at her inaugural press conference mirrored his own stance on bilateral relations.

“Prime Minister, I was deeply impressed by your words that ‘Korea is a very important neighbor to Japan, and our bilateral relations should develop in a future-oriented and stable manner,’” Lee said. “Remarkably, your statement is identical, word for word, to what I have often said myself.”

Takaichi responded by reaffirming Japan’s commitment to close coordination. “Japan and Korea are important neighbors to each other,” she said. “Amid the current strategic environment, the importance of Japan-Korea cooperation is growing. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations, and I am confident that building on our trilateral ties with the United States will benefit both nations.”

She added that she hopes to make active use of shuttle diplomacy to maintain smooth communication, noting that Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi also attended the meeting.

During their 41-minute summit, which began at 6:02 p.m., the two leaders discussed ways to continue shuttle diplomacy and expand cooperation in economic, security, and social fields.