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Politics
Jan 14, 2026 09:01 (JST)
Nara, Jan. 14 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung demonstrated their close relationship through a bilateral summit and a banquet in the city of Nara, the capital of the namesake prefecture in western Japan, on Tuesday.
The two leaders had the third face-to-face contact since Takaichi took office last October.
Apparently behind the frequent interactions between Takaichi and Lee, who was inaugurated last June, are a view on both sides that promoting close bilateral relations would benefit Tokyo and Seoul at a time when the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is increasingly taking an inward-looking attitude and China is accelerating its hegemonic behavior.
“Japan and South Korea should play their roles together for regional stability,” Takaichi said at the summit with Lee in Nara. In reply, the South Korean president said that cooperation between the two countries is very important.
It is rare for a Japanese prime minister to welcome a foreign leader to a regional city. Takaichi was born in Nara Prefecture, and her House of Representatives constituency covers part of the city of Nara.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
Jiji Press
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