"Strengthening People-to-People and Economic Exchanges Expected to Be on the Agenda"
Japanese media have reported that the governments of South Korea and Japan are coordinating a visit by President Lee Jaemyung to Japan in late August.
On August 8, Kyodo News, citing diplomatic sources, reported that President Lee is scheduled to visit Japan in late August and hold talks with Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru.
While President Lee is also arranging a visit to the United States later this month for talks with President Donald Trump, Kyodo News stated that the visit to Japan is expected to take place before the trip to the United States.
The Japanese government, marking the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Japan this year, is seeking to strengthen security cooperation between South Korea and Japan, as well as among South Korea, the United States, and Japan, with North Korea's ongoing nuclear and missile development and China's expanding maritime presence in mind. Kyodo News reported that the summit between the two leaders is expected to address concerns over military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, and to discuss strengthening exchanges in the people-to-people and economic sectors between the two countries.
If President Lee visits Japan this time, it will be his first trip to Japan since taking office, and shuttle diplomacy between the leaders of the two countries will also resume.
Previously, President Lee and Prime Minister Ishiba held a summit on June 17 in Kananaskis, Canada, while attending the Group of Seven (G7) summit. This was the first summit between the two leaders, held just 14 days after President Lee's inauguration (based on Korean time), during which they reaffirmed their commitment to resuming shuttle diplomacy.
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