Busan: President Lee Jae Myung will hold summit talks with outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in the southeastern city of Busan next week, the presidential office said Friday. The two sides will meet for talks as part of Ishiba's two-day trip to South Korea from Tuesday to Wednesday, according to presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung.
According to Yonhap News Agency, "Through their meeting, the leaders of South Korea and Japan will further solidify the foundations for future-oriented cooperation between the two countries," Kang said, noting that Ishiba's visit will take place in line with the resumption of "shuttle diplomacy" between the two countries last month. Lee held summit talks with Ishiba in Tokyo last month, where he suggested holding their next talks in South Korea in a location other than Seoul.
"They will share their candid thoughts on ways to strengthen coordination between South Korea and the United States and among South Korea, the United States and Japan for regional peace and security as well as the two countries' joint interests," Kang added. It will be Ishiba's first visit to South Korea since he took office in October last year and the first time in 21 years that a Japanese prime minister will visit a South Korean city other than Seoul.
Next week's trip is expected to be Ishiba's final one to South Korea as prime minister as he expressed his intent to resign earlier this month.