Anna Jiwon Park has been covering the politics at The Korea Times since the summer of 2024, when she joined the press pool for the Office of the President in Korea. Prior to that, she spent about five years reporting extensively on financial markets, regulatory authorities and the financial industry. She joined The Korea Times in 2019 after spending eight years as a broadcast journalist at Arirang TV, Korea’s leading global broadcaster, covering politics, defense and culture.
Leaders of Korea, Japan agree to cooperate in addressing social challenges
President Lee Jae Myung shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba before their third summit at the Nurimaru APEC House in Busan, Tuesday. Joint Press Corps
By Anna J. Park
Summit in Busan highlights commitment to balanced regional development
BUSAN — President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba agreed Tuesday to cooperate in tackling pressing social challenges, including low birthrates, aging populations and regional development.
They released a joint announcement on how to operate a joint consultative body for the initiative, which reflects a broader effort to strengthen ties between the two neighbors by deepening both the scope and intensity of their bilateral cooperation.
The agreement was reached during their summit held in Busan. The summit was the two leaders’ third such meeting in person, following talks at the G7 summit in June in Canada, and a bilateral meeting held in Japan's capital Tokyo late last month.
During their meeting, Lee and Ishiba underscored the geographical closeness of Korea and Japan.
“I came down here from Seoul on a special train, and I imagine the time it took for the prime minister to fly from Japan to Busan was almost the same, if not shorter,” Lee said. “Just as our countries are physically close, I hope we can become even closer emotionally, economically, socially, culturally and in terms of security.”
Ishiba echoed the sentiment.
“As mentioned earlier, it takes only two hours by plane — and from my hometown, perhaps just one hour,” the Japanese prime minister said. “I sincerely appreciate that, as you just noted, this summit is being held not in Seoul but in a regional city, demonstrating that commitment in action.”
President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba enter the Nurimaru APEC House in Busan, Tuesday. Joint Press Corps
The summit in Busan aligned with their earlier agreement to convene meetings outside the capital as part of a broader push for balanced regional development.
It was the first time in 21 years that a Japanese prime minister had met a Korean president outside Seoul, with the previous one taking place in 2004 between then-President Roh Moo-hyun and then-Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on Jeju Island.
Addressing common challenges
The joint announcement addressed operations of a newly established joint consultative body to confront common social challenges. The framework will focus on tackling declining birthrates and aging populations, seeking balanced regional development, disaster prevention and suicide prevention.
Lee voiced hopes that the initiative would lay the foundation for a deeper bilateral relationship.
“I look forward to building a Korea–Japan relationship that extends beyond economic and security issues to encompass shared empathy on social matters,” he said. “I hope today’s summit will serve as a cornerstone for forging this new partnership.”
The Japanese prime minister stressed the importance of practical cooperation.
"I hope our two countries can forge a new relationship by sharing wisdom and experience to tackle the social challenges we both face — from population decline, low birthrates and aging, to metropolitan overconcentration, low self-sufficiency in agriculture and fisheries, and energy dependence,” Ishiba said. “I also look forward to the resumption of the two countries' joint committee on science and technology cooperation.”
President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba enter the Nurimaru APEC House in Busan, Tuesday. Joint Press Corps
For the initiative, relevant ministries in both countries will take the lead in these consultations, with the aim of translating insights into practical contributions to each side’s policy goals. Oversight will be provided through regular bilateral meetings between the two foreign ministries, ensuring consistent coordination and a comprehensive approach. The framework is designed to enable policy dialogue across multiple levels of the public sector.
By institutionalizing dialogue, Seoul and Tokyo aim to strengthen communication among policymakers, experts, and community representatives, while reinforcing multi-layered cooperation on urgent social issues.
President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba listen to an explanation by a cultural tour guide about master craftsman Kim Gyu-jang’s lacquerware piece "Twelve Symbols of Longevity" at the Nurimaru APEC House Memorial Hall in Busan, Tuesday. Joint Press Corps
Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said Lee also outlined his government’s efforts and policy initiatives to ease tensions and build trust as part of resolving the North Korean nuclear issue and securing peace on the Korean Peninsula. The two leaders reaffirmed their solid commitment to the peninsula’s complete denuclearization and the establishment of lasting peace.
Marking the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties this year, Lee underscored the need to confront historical disputes while advancing future-oriented cooperation. He added that accumulating concrete achievements in meaningful areas of collaboration could generate a virtuous cycle, helping to positively influence discussions on outstanding bilateral issues.
With Ishiba set to step down early next month, the Japanese leader emphasized that he hopes the "shuttle diplomacy between Seoul and Tokyo" can continue. Shuttle diplomacy in Korean and Japanese refers to frequent reciprocal visits by leaders of neighboring countries.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, back row right, pays respects at the grave of Lee Soo-hyun at Youngnak Park in Busan, Tuesday. Lee was a Korean student who died in 2001 while trying to save a Japanese man who had fallen onto the tracks at Tokyo’s Shin-Okubo Station. Yonhap
Meanwhile, on his way from the airport to the summit venue in Busan, Ishiba paid his respects at the grave of Lee Soo-hyun, a Korean student who lost his life 24 years ago while attempting to save a Japanese man who had fallen onto the tracks at a Tokyo train station.
“We hold deep respect for Mr. Lee’s noble spirit and his boundless love, shown in the sacrifice of his own life for others,” Ishiba said, expressing gratitude for the opportunity to honor his memory during the visit.