Japan-South Korea Summit: Build up Cooperation through Frequent Reciprocal Visits between Leaders

Editorial

14:54 JST, January 14, 2026

Japan-South Korea relations, which are on a trend of improvement, are growing more stable as their leaders engage in frequent reciprocal visits. The two countries must increase the amount of concrete cooperation and establish a robust relationship that will not go backward.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi hosted an about 1½-hour meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in Nara Prefecture, her home turf. The two leaders agreed on a policy of aiming for a future-oriented bilateral relationship and deepening trilateral security cooperation among Japan, the United States and South Korea, with North Korea in mind.

Takaichi stated during the summit that Japan and South Korea “should work together to play a role in ensuring the stability of the region.” In response, Lee said that in the increasingly complex international order, cooperation between the two countries is more important than anything else.

Lee visited Tokyo in August last year. In September, then Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba visited Busan, South Korea. Lee’s visit to Nara Prefecture this time was reportedly proposed by the South Korean side. Seoul thus appears to be aiming to build a personal relationship of mutual trust between the leaders.

It is a welcome sight that reciprocal visits, in which Japanese and South Korean leaders visit each other’s countries, without being bound by formality are becoming established.

During the summit, the leaders also confirmed cooperation toward building supply chains for critical materials such as rare earths.

China, reacting against Takaichi’s Diet remarks regarding a potential Taiwan contingency, has imposed export restrictions on rare earth-related items to Japan. Japan should expand diversified frameworks for securing critical materials without relying on China, in cooperation with South Korea, Southeast Asian nations and others.

China’s propaganda campaign to disparage Japan has gone too far.

Chinese President Xi Jinping hastily invited Lee as a state guest for a summit in Beijing immediately before Lee’s visit to Japan. The obvious aim of China’s action was to isolate Japan by forming a united front with South Korea.

Indeed, after the talks concluded, the Chinese side announced that Xi had stated that China and South Korea “made tremendous national sacrifices and won the victory against Japanese militarism” and Lee had responded that South Korea and China “fought together against Japanese militarist aggression.”

However, the South Korean side’s announcement contained no mention of historical issues, nor did it include the remarks attributed to Lee by the Chinese side.

The fact that the South Korean side did not allow itself to be influenced during the China-South Korea summit by China’s agenda and did not undermine Japan-South Korea relations likely reflects the Lee administration’s view that Japan is an important partner.

Last year, South Korea expressed its intention to seek membership in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). South Korea’s economic strength stands just below members of the Group of Seven advanced nations, and if it joins, that would lead to the strengthening of the free trade framework. Japan should also support South Korea’s efforts for CPTPP membership.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Jan. 14, 2026)