Japan’s Ishiba Hosts South Korea’s Lee Ahead of Trump Summit

Tokyo, August 23, 2025 – Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba welcomed South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in Tokyo on Saturday, a visit aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and reaffirming security cooperation between the two nations, key U.S. allies in East Asia. The meeting, held at the premier’s residence, comes just two days before Lee’s critical first summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C.

The leaders discussed enhancing their countries’ relationship, including deeper security cooperation under a trilateral pact with the United States, established by their predecessors. “As the strategic environment surrounding both our countries grows increasingly severe, the importance of our relations, as well as trilateral cooperation with the United States, continues to grow,” Ishiba said in a joint statement with Lee. The two agreed to resume “shuttle diplomacy,” expand cultural and economic exchanges through initiatives like working holiday programs, and bolster collaboration in defense, economic security, artificial intelligence, and countering North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats. They also emphasized the need for stronger trilateral coordination with the U.S. to address regional challenges, particularly China’s growing influence and North Korea’s provocations. Lee’s visit follows his snap election victory in June, after the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol for declaring martial law. His liberal stance and past criticism of efforts to mend ties strained by Japan’s 1910-1945 colonial rule of Korea had raised concerns in Tokyo about potential friction. Tensions were further highlighted last week when South Korea expressed “deep disappointment” over Japanese officials’ visits to a Tokyo war shrine viewed by many Koreans as a symbol of Japan’s wartime aggression. However, Lee has since softened his tone, expressing support for closer ties with Japan, as reaffirmed during his first meeting with Ishiba at the G7 summit in Canada in June. Japanese officials welcomed Lee’s decision to visit Tokyo before Washington, interpreting it as a signal of the importance he places on Japan-South Korea relations. The two nations, which together host approximately 80,000 U.S. troops, dozens of warships, and hundreds of military aircraft, rely heavily on Washington to counter China’s regional influence. They also recently secured trade agreements with the U.S., negotiating tariffs down to 15 percent from Trump’s proposed 25 percent, though at the cost of significant investments in U.S. industries. “We agreed that unwavering cooperation between South Korea, the U.S., and Japan is paramount in the rapidly changing international situation,” Lee said, emphasizing that stronger bilateral ties with Japan would enhance trilateral collaboration. For Ishiba, facing domestic pressure from right-wing rivals within his Liberal Democratic Party after its July election loss, Lee’s visit offers an opportunity to strengthen his position through a successful summit. Lee’s upcoming meeting with Trump is expected to focus on trade, defense, and Seoul’s financial contributions to U.S. forces stationed in South Korea, a point Trump has repeatedly pressed.