Leaders of Korea, Japan likely to discuss implications of US-China summit

President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi shake hands after delivering a joint press statement at their summit in Takaichi's hometown in Nara Prefecture, Jan. 13. Newsis

President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will hold a bilateral talk in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, Tuesday. They are expected to discuss the implications of the economic and security issues addressed by the U.S.-China summit last week, according to analysts Sunday.

The topics will likely include tensions over Taiwan between the U.S. and China, as well as a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz stemming from the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, which analysts say concern the individual and bilateral interests of Korea and Japan, as well as their shared interests with the U.S. as allies.

“The issues on Taiwan and the Strait of Hormuz were raised as key items on the agenda at the U.S.–China summit and they also can play a significant role in the Korea-Japan summit,” said Park Won-gon, a professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University.

The professor referred to bilateral talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing from Thursday to Friday last week.

Shin Bum-cheol, a professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, said the leaders of Korea and Japan are “anticipated to gradually pursue practical cooperation in energy supply chains and other areas of mutual interest in the economy and security,” although it remains uncertain whether the summit will produce concrete outcomes.

Concerning Taiwan, the U.S. has been shifting its regional security posture, placing greater emphasis on allies paying a greater share of the costs while also pressuring them to take on a more active role in containing China.

This approach reflects Washington’s broader effort to strengthen allied coordination in the Indo-Pacific — meaning coordination with Korea and Japan — particularly as tensions over Taiwan continue to shape regional security dynamics, according to the analysts.

As for the Strait of Hormuz, it serves as a crucial waterway for delivering crude oil to both Korea and Japan.

Two Japanese vessels have transited the strait since the outbreak of the war on Feb. 28. Japan said it did not pay passage fees to Iran. In contrast, 26 ships, either Korean-flagged or operated by domestic companies, are stranded in the Persian Gulf. The ships include HMM Namu, a bulk carrier that sustained damage on May 4 from unidentified airborne objects presumed to be launched by Iran.

Both Korea and Japan have been under U.S. pressure to join its initiatives for freedom of navigation in the strait.

“Given their significant impact on Korea and Japan within the broader international context, the situation in the Middle East and other issues could potentially be raised for discussion,” a Cheong Wa Dae official said Sunday, adding that the schedule and other details of this week’s summit have not been finalized.

It will be the third bilateral meeting between Lee and Takaichi, with the Andong gathering marking the Japanese prime minister’s reciprocal visit to her Korean counterpart’s hometown, following their previous meeting in Takaichi’s hometown of Nara in January.

“The summit is seen as meaningful for normalizing ‘shuttle diplomacy’ between the two neighboring countries, and relevant discussions are likely to be held at roughly that level,” Shin said. For the two countries, shuttle diplomacy refers to frequent reciprocal visits by leaders.

Holding the summits outside the capital cities also shows the two leaders' commitment to balanced regional development.

Lee has emphasized balanced regional development, which he views as “not a matter of generosity, but a survival strategy for the country” amid deepening economic polarization between the Seoul metropolitan area and the rest of the country.