Lee, Takaichi Hold First-Ever Summit, Focus On Boosting Seoul Tokyo Ties | World News

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung held his first summit talks with Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Thursday on the margins of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in the southeastern city of Gyeongju.

Takaichi arrived in South Korea for a three-day visit, just days after becoming Japan’s first female leader. Their meeting was closely watched as the talks served as an important barometer for the future of relations between the two neighbors, Yonhap news agency reported.

Takaichi’s visit comes amid growing uncertainty in Seoul-Tokyo relations following her election as Japan’s first female leader, known for her hawkish stance on past historical issues arising from Japan’s colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula in 1910-45.

After leaving Tokyo earlier in the day, it landed at Gimhae International Airport in the southeastern port city of Busan at 2:48 p.m.

Takaichi described South Korea as an important partner and expressed his fondness for Korean seaweed and TV series at a press conference on his inauguration day, which was seen as a move to ease Seoul’s concerns.

He also avoided visiting the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, which honors war criminals and has long faced criticism from South Korea and China for glorifying Japan’s militaristic past. Instead, he sent an offering to Yasukuni at the autumn festival just before his election.

Lee was quick to offer a congratulatory message on Takaichi’s election and expressed his hope that the “future-oriented, mutually beneficial cooperation” between the two countries would be further strengthened.

During his three-day visit, Takaichi will also attend the main APEC Economic Leaders Meeting scheduled for Friday and Saturday to discuss issues related to trade and investment, as well as emerging challenges such as artificial intelligence and demographic changes, according to Japan’s foreign ministry.

He added that he plans to hold summit meetings with other world leaders to exchange views on bilateral relations. According to Japan’s Kyodo News newspaper on Wednesday, citing government officials, Takaichi, who also takes a strict stance on China, is arranging his first summit meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the meeting on Friday.