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| ▲ President Lee Jae Myung (R) meets with former Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso at the presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae, Seoul, on Jan. 16, 2026. (Yonhap) |
Lee-ex-Japanese prime minister
Lee stresses mutually beneficial relations with Japan
SEOUL, Jan. 16 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung said Friday that Seoul and Tokyo have to seek mutually beneficial relations by improving bilateral ties.
In a meeting with former Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, Lee said South Korea and Japan are neighbors using a front yard together.
"It is desirable to find out as many areas as possible where the two countries cooperate, so as to create a mutually beneficial relationship" Lee said.
Lee's meeting with the former Japanese prime minister came as he took a trip to Japan earlier this week for talks with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on ways to broaden and deepen bilateral cooperation amid tensions between Beijing and Tokyo.
The president met Takaichi in her hometown of Nara, marking his second visit to Japan and his fifth summit with a Japanese prime minister since taking office in June last year.
It was their second summit following their first meeting in South Korea's Gyeongju in late October.
During Tuesday's talks, the two leaders agreed to advance "future-oriented cooperation" through reciprocal leader-level visits, dubbed "shuttle diplomacy."
Lee said his meeting with Aso right after the summit talks is making Korean people think that Seoul-Tokyo relations may be abruptly leveled up.
Aso said the second summit between the leaders of Japan and South Korea in less than three months is very meaningful.
"The international situation surrounding Japan and South Korea is changing, and close cooperation is mutually beneficial to both Japan and South Korea," Aso said.
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