Future-oriented Korea-Japan relations must extend to trilateral cooperation

President Lee Jae Myung, left, and Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru chat as they head into the prime minister’s official residence for their bilateral summit in Tokyo on Aug. 23. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

 
President Lee Jae Myung visited Japan on Aug. 23 for a summit with Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru, agreeing to restore so-called shuttle diplomacy between the two countries. Meeting just two months after the Group of 7 summit in Canada, the leaders held a series of plenary and small-group discussions and reached agreements on 11 detailed issues across five areas, including cooperation in artificial intelligence and future industries, expanded people-to-people exchanges and measures against North Korea’s nuclear program. The creation of a vice-ministerial strategic dialogue, expansion of working holiday programs and joint responses to demographic challenges such as aging and low birthrates were seen as tangible first steps toward substantive cooperation.
 
 
It was the first time in 17 years, since the Lee Myung-bak administration in 2008, that the two governments issued a joint press statement. The declaration reaffirmed the principle of achieving complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and building lasting peace. Reflecting President Lee’s description of Korea and Japan as “neighbors sharing the same yard,” the summit produced a forward-looking blueprint. Korea’s initiative in framing bilateral progress as the foundation for broader trilateral cooperation with the United States has raised expectations for a more positive role in regional security. Song Eon-seog, interim leader of the People Power Party, called the move “a sound decision in the national interest to strengthen friendly ties with Japan and bolster trilateral cooperation.”
 
On historical issues, the statement recorded Prime Minister Ishiba’s pledge to uphold the perspectives of past cabinets, including the 1998 Kim Dae-jung-Obuchi Declaration. That reaffirmation of confronting history while moving toward the future was significant. Still, the absence of more advanced language on Japan’s remorse left some disappointment. Expressions such as Obuchi’s “heartfelt apology” did not appear. Seoul hopes Tokyo will take responsible steps to fill the remaining gaps in reconciliation.
 

President Lee Jae Myung and First Lady Kim Hea Kyung board Air Force One at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport on August 24, departing for Washington, D.C., to attend a Korea-U.S. summit with U.S. President Donald Trump following the Korea-Japan summit. [YONHAP]

 
The summit served not only to improve bilateral ties but also to prepare for the upcoming Korea-U.S. summit. Lee became the first Korean president to visit Japan ahead of a U.S. meeting, underscoring the bridge role of the trip. He also drew on Ishiba’s experience in negotiations with Washington. The Korea-U.S. summit, set for Aug. 25 local time, is expected to differ from past gatherings focused on friendship and alliance reaffirmation. Instead, it will test Lee’s pragmatic diplomacy against U.S. President Donald Trump’s America-first approach. With Trump already signaling steep demands on tariffs, defense spending and the cost of U.S. troop deployments in Korea, Seoul faces a critical moment. As National Security Office head Wi Sung-lac remarked, “It is up to us to draw lessons from Japan’s experience.” Thorough preparation will be needed to turn the meeting into an outcome that maximizes Korea’s national interest.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.