On Second Day of Japan Visit, President Lee Visits Horyuji... Friendship Event with Takaichi

Prime Minister Takaichi Welcomes President Lee
Brief Conversation Followed by Temple Tour

Yonhap News Agency

On January 14, the second day of his visit to Japan, President Lee Jaemyung visited Horyuji (法隆寺, Horyu-ji) in Nara Prefecture and spent time fostering friendship with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

Prime Minister Takaichi arrived at Horyuji ahead of President Lee to welcome him. After shaking hands and a brief conversation, the two leaders entered the temple together.

Horyuji is the world’s oldest wooden structure and was the first site in Japan to be registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 1993. In particular, the wooden standing statue of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, known as the 'Baekje Avalokitesvara Statue' and housed in Horyuji, is believed to have been either created and gifted by people from Baekje or made by Baekje immigrants to Japan.

The previous day, President Lee held his fifth summit meeting with Japan since taking office, and his second since Shigeru Ishiba resigned and Prime Minister Takaichi took office. The summit consisted of a 20-minute small-group meeting and a 68-minute expanded meeting, for a total of 88 minutes. After completing the small-group and expanded meetings and delivering a joint press statement, the two leaders also held a one-on-one conversation and had dinner together.

On the morning of January 14, President Lee toured Horyuji, a representative cultural heritage site in Nara Prefecture, with Prime Minister Takaichi. He then met with Korean residents in the Kansai region, including Osaka, before returning to Korea.