Seoul, Tokyo stress S. Korea-US-Japan cooperation on NK denuclearization

President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi deliver a joint press statement at their summit venue in Nara, Japan, Tuesday. Yonhap

NARA, Japan — President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Tuesday emphasized the importance of South Korea-Japan cooperation and trilateral coordination with the United States, reaffirming close alignment on North Korea and regional stability as international tensions rise.

“The two sides exchanged broad views on regional and global issues and shared the understanding that, amid rapidly changing international circumstances, cooperation between Korea and Japan, as well as trilateral cooperation among Korea, the United States and Japan, is vital to maintaining peace and stability in the region,” Lee said at a joint press conference following their 90-minute summit in Japan’s Nara Prefecture, Takaichi’s home constituency.

Lee said the two leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the establishment of lasting peace, and agreed to maintain close coordination on North Korea policy.

He added that he had urged South Korea, China and Japan to seek as much common ground as possible and to sustain dialogue and cooperation.

Takaichi also highlighted the significance of Korea-Japan ties and trilateral coordination with the United States.

“As the strategic environment surrounding our two countries becomes increasingly severe, the importance of Japan-Korea relations and Japan-Korea-U.S. solidarity continues to grow,” Takaichi said. “President Lee and I shared an understanding of the strategic importance of our bilateral relationship and confirmed that our two countries must work together in solidarity to play a role in maintaining regional stability."

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a joint press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Nara Prefecture, Japan, Tuesday. Yonhap

According to the joint statement, which the leaders read in turn, the two countries also agreed to deepen cooperation in areas including artificial intelligence, intellectual property and shared social issues such as low birthrates and population aging.

“In the economic sphere, the two countries shared the view that cooperation should move beyond trade-centered engagement and expand into more comprehensive collaboration, including economic security, science and technology, and the joint shaping of international norms,” Takaichi said, reading the opening portion of the statement.

She added that the two sides agreed to pursue concrete and practical outcomes in addressing these shared challenges.

“Going forward, we agreed to generate tangible and substantive results in addressing common challenges, including regional growth,” Lee said, reading the latter part of the statement.

The two countries also agreed to strengthen joint responses to transnational crimes, including scam-related offenses.

President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi shake hands as they deliver a joint press statement in Nara Prefecture, Japan, Tuesday. Yonhap

Seeking to expand exchanges among younger generations, the two sides agreed to continue discussions on increasing both the scale and quality of youth programs, including steps to simplify immigration procedures, encourage school trips and broaden mutual recognition of professional qualifications.

Separately, they agreed to pursue DNA testing to identify remains recovered last August at the Josei coal mine in Ube, Japan, where 183 Korean and Japanese workers were killed in a 1942 flooding accident, with working-level consultations to determine the identification process.

“Through this summit, we believe we have made small but meaningful progress on historical issues, which makes this outcome all the more significant,” Lee said.

President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae pose after playing drums together in the reception hall following their summit meeting in Nara Prefecture, Japan, Tuesday. The two leaders performed a joint drum session to the theme song “Golden” from K-Pop Demon Hunters and BTS’s hit song “Dynamite.” Prime Minister Takaichi was active as a drummer in a heavy metal rock band during her school years. Joint Press Corps

The summit was the third meeting between the two leaders since Takaichi took office in October 2025, following talks on the sidelines of last year’s APEC summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, and a brief exchange at the G20 summit in South Africa.

In his opening remarks, Lee acknowledged the two countries' shared history shaped by Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule of Korea, while underscoring the significance of more recent developments and the need to focus on future cooperation.

“While we share painful experiences from the past, it has now been 60 years since the normalization of Korea-Japan relations,” Lee said. “As we begin a new chapter toward the next 60 years, today’s meeting carries special meaning.”

Takaichi echoed the sentiment, underscoring the two countries’ decadeslong cooperation and the need to elevate bilateral ties to a new level.

“We would like to make this year, beginning with the president’s visit to Japan, a year in which Korea-Japan relations advance to a higher dimension,” Takaichi said.

President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae play drums together in the reception hall after their summit meeting in Nara Prefecture, Japan, Tuesday. Joint Press Corps

Both leaders stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation in an increasingly complex global environment. Lee said close coordination between Seoul and Tokyo was more critical than ever.

“In this complicated and unsettled international order, Korea-Japan cooperation is more important than anything else as we move toward a better future,” Lee said. “There are complex, difficult and uncomfortable aspects, but also positive ones. By nurturing what works well and carefully managing challenges, I believe we can move forward hand in hand toward a better future.”

The Korean president added that cooperation between the two governments and their peoples would be essential in shaping a new future for bilateral relations.

President Lee Jae Myung walks with first lady Kim Hea Kyung after landing at Osaka Kansai Airport in Japan, Tuesday. Yonhap

Nara holds special significance as the Japanese prime minister’s hometown and political constituency. Lee proposed meeting there during Takaichi’s visit to Gyeongju for the APEC summit last year.

It is rare for a Japanese prime minister to invite a foreign head of state to their own electoral district. The meeting was the first-ever summit between a Japanese prime minister and foreign leader in Nara.

As the oldest of Japan’s former capital cities, Nara also holds importance as a symbolic site of historical exchange between Korea and Japan, reflecting cultural and diplomatic ties that date back more than 1,500 years.

On Wednesday, the two leaders are set to visit Horyu-ji, a Buddhist temple that is one of the region’s most prominent cultural heritage sites. Lee will then conclude his two-day visit to Japan by meeting with ethnic Koreans in the Kansai region, including Osaka, before returning home.