South Korea's President Lee to visit Japan for a summit with PM Takaichi

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South Korea's President Lee to visit Japan for a summit with PM Takaichi

By Heejin Kim

Fri, January 9, 2026 at 5:20 AM UTC

1 min read

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung answers a reporter's question during a press conference to mark the first anniversary of the December 3, 2024 martial law declaration by former President Yoon Suk Yeol, at the Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, December 3, 2025. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

By Heejin Kim

SEOUL, Jan 9 (Reuters) - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung ​will visit Japan on January 13 ‌and 14 for a summit with Japan's Prime ‌Minister Sanae Takaichi, Lee's office said on Friday.

Lee and Takaichi will hold the summit in Nara City on January 13, followed ⁠by a ‌dinner, where they are expected to discuss regional and global affairs ‍as well as economic and social issues, the presidential office said in a statement.

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The pair ​will attend diplomatic events together and Lee ‌will separately meet with South Korean residents in Japan, it said.

The summit aims to reinforce the goal of developing South Korea–Japan relations in a future-oriented, stable ⁠direction, Lee's office said.

The leaders ​may also discuss regional ​issues such as the current dispute between China and Japan, and ‍the potential ⁠participation of North Korean athletes at the Asian Games scheduled for September in ⁠Japan, Lee's security adviser Wi Sung-lac told a ‌briefing on Friday.

(Reporting by Heejin ‌KimEditing by Ed Davies)

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