South Korean President to Meet Japanese Prime Minister Before US Visit

TDT | Manama

Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung will meet Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Tokyo next week, ahead of his planned trip to the United States to meet President Donald Trump.

Lee is scheduled to meet Trump in Washington on August 25 to discuss details of a recent trade agreement between the two countries.

Before that, his August 23–24 talks with Prime Minister Ishiba aim to “strengthen cooperation and build a foundation for future collaboration,” said presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung. She added that the leaders will discuss ways to enhance trilateral cooperation between South Korea, Japan, and the United States, as well as regional peace and stability.

Japan confirmed the visit, describing South Korea as an “important neighbour and partner” and highlighting the growing importance of cooperation between the three countries in today’s strategic environment.

Last month, South Korea and Japan agreed to trade deals with Washington, including large investments in the United States, in exchange for avoiding threatened tariffs.

Relations between Seoul and Tokyo were warm under former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who aimed to set aside historical disputes with Japan to strengthen cooperation against North Korea’s nuclear threats. However, Yoon was impeached in April, leading to a snap election won by Lee in June.

Last month, Lee emphasized that South Korea and Japan share many common interests in defense and the economy and are “inseparably linked.”