Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung shake fingers forward of their summit held on Oct. 30, 2025, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Financial Cooperation discussion board in Gyeongju, South Korea. (pool picture)
Sooner or later earlier than his scheduled summit with the Japanese prime minister, Korean President Lee Jae Myung commented that “relations with Japan are as vital for Korea as these with China.”
“Contemplating that battle between China and Japan doesn’t serve peace or stability in Northeast Asia, I sit up for the 2 nations discovering an amicable decision by way of dialogue,” Lee remarked.
Lee was requested to precise Korea’s place on the current chill in China-Japan relations throughout an interview with Japanese broadcaster NHK on Monday.
“Chinese language President Xi Jinping evidently holds a really damaging view of Japan’s place on the Taiwan situation. In my opinion, that’s a matter for China and Japan to handle and never one thing we have to get entangled in,” he mentioned.
Lee pressured Korea’s neutrality as China and Japan’s battle heats up following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks in regards to the potential intervention of the Japan Self-Protection Forces in a Taiwan contingency.
Within the NHK interview, Lee made the next remarks about Korea-Japan relations.
“It’s crucial that Korea and Japan share values and desired path given the complexity of the scenario in Northeast Asia. I hope we are able to complement one another’s shortcomings and discover extra widespread floor since there are lots of areas the place we cannot solely compete but in addition cooperate.”
“Whereas candidly acknowledging the previous, we must always cooperate the place applicable as we transfer ahead collectively. Whereas fastidiously managing traumatic recollections, we should do every little thing potential to increase upon areas of hope and positivity,” the Korean chief emphasised.
“The query of importing [Japanese] seafood is prone to be an vital merchandise on the agenda,” Lee mentioned whereas noting that he desires Korea to affix the Complete and Progressive Settlement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
The CPTPP is a multilateral free-trade settlement concluded by nations within the Asia-Pacific area in 2018. The group’s 12 members — together with Japan, Canada and Australia — assist Korea’s admission.
However for Korea to affix the CPTPP, it must ease laws on importing seafood from Japan, together with Fukushima Prefecture, web site of the controversial discharge of handled wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear energy plant.
“There are issues of public emotion and belief that may should be handled in the long run fairly than the quick time period,” Lee defined.
Lee additionally voiced his full assist for Takaichi’s obvious curiosity in holding a summit with North Korea.
“Dialogue between North Korea and the US, in addition to between North Korea and Japan, is essential for peace and stability in Northeast Asia. I’d prefer to play a job in making that potential,” he mentioned.
Lee additionally talked about the difficulty of North Korea’s previous abduction of Japanese residents, which stays a thorny situation between Pyongyang and Tokyo.
“Shortly restoring pleasant relations between these shut neighbors is fascinating by way of peace on the Korean Peninsula,” he mentioned.
Lee will go to Japan’s Nara Prefecture on Tuesday and Wednesday for a summit with Takaichi. That might be their second summit, following a earlier assembly in Gyeongju on Oct. 30, 2025.
Lee described his first impression of the Japanese prime minister as follows.
“I assumed she was an ultra-hard-liner with a conservative perspective towards relations with Korea. However assembly her in individual, I discovered her to be very personable and passionate. As an individual who reached this place with none political connections or patronage, I might relate to Takaichi, who’s herself a self-made girl who succeeded in politics with out counting on patronage,” he mentioned.
Nara Prefecture, the place the summit is being held, is Takaichi’s hometown in addition to her electoral district.
“If we’ve got the prospect, I’d like to ask her to return to Andong someday,” Lee mentioned, referring to his personal hometown in North Gyeongsang Province.
By Website positioning Younger-ji, workers reporter
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