(3rd LD) Lee emphasizes need for 3-way cooperation with Tokyo, Beijing in summit with Takaichi

▲ President Lee Jae Myung (L) speaks during a joint press announcement with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi following their summit talks in Japan's Nara on Jan. 13, 2026. (Yonhap)

▲ President Lee Jae Myung (L) shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi after delivering a joint press announcement following their summit talks in Japan's Nara on Jan. 13, 2026. (Yonhap)

▲ President Lee Jae Myung (L) shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi ahead of their summit talks in Japan's Nara on Jan. 13, 2026. (Yonhap)

▲ President Lee Jae Myung (L) speaks during his summit talks with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (R) in Japan's Nara on Jan. 13, 2026. (Yonhap)

(3rd LD) Lee-Takaichi-summit

(3rd LD) Lee emphasizes need for 3-way cooperation with Tokyo, Beijing in summit with Takaichi

(ATTN: UPDATES with remarks, details, photo; RECASTS headline)

By Kim Eun-jung

NARA, Japan, Jan. 13 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung said Tuesday he has emphasized the need for trilateral cooperation among Seoul, Tokyo and Beijing as he held summit talks with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, amid heightened diplomatic tensions between Japan and China.

"I emphasized the need for the three Northeast Asian countries -- Korea, Japan and China -- to identify as much common ground as possible in order to communicate and cooperate," Lee said in a joint press announcement after the summit.

The summit talks with Takaichi came after Lee held summit talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing earlier this month, at a time when tensions have been running high between Beijing and Tokyo over Takaichi's remarks on Taiwan.

Lee said he and Takaichi shared a consensus on the importance of bilateral ties and trilateral cooperation among Seoul, Washington and Tokyo to ensure regional peace and stability amid a rapidly changing global landscape.

"The two countries reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the establishment of lasting peace, and agreed to continue close coordination on North Korea policy," Lee said.

The meeting, which lasted about an hour and a half, also addressed historical issues stemming from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule over Korea.

The two sides agreed to cooperate on efforts to recover remains from the Chosei undersea coal mine in Japan's western Yamaguchi Prefecture, where a flood in 1942 killed 183 people, including 136 Korean forced laborers.

Lee said Seoul and Tokyo agreed to conduct DNA analysis to identify the remains, which were discovered in August last year, and to hold working-level consultations on the specific details.

Lee described the planned working-level consultations as "small but meaningful progress on historical issues."

In their second summit, following their first in the South Korean ancient city of Gyeongju last October, the two leaders discussed ways to expand "future-oriented cooperation" through reciprocal leader-level visits dubbed "shuttle diplomacy."

In particular, Lee said the two nations agreed to launch working-level consultations on artificial intelligence and intellectual property rights, adding that he proposed measures such as simplifying entry procedures, encouraging school trips and expanding the current mutual recognition of technical qualifications.

He also said the two sides agreed to strengthen joint responses to transnational crimes, including online scams, through a Korea-led international consultative body, and to adopt a joint document to provide an institutional framework for bilateral cooperation.

During the talks, the two leaders agreed to make efforts to advance bilateral cooperation in various areas amid the shifting geographical dynamics.

"Amid a complex and dizzying international order, I believe that cooperation between Korea and Japan is more important than ever," Lee said at the start of the talk.

Lee called for the two nations to take steps toward a better future, despite the painful past caused by Japan's occupation of the Korean Peninsula.

"Geopolitical uncertainty is growing, multilateralism is being put to the test in the international community, and interdependence within global supply chains is being weaponized," he said.

"To address the pressing challenges we face, I hope that the two countries will squarely confront history while expanding cooperation based on deep mutual trust," he added.

Lee said South Korea and Japan have built mutually beneficial relations over the past 60 years since normalizing diplomatic ties and expressed hope to further develop the relationship over the next 60 years.

Takaichi said she would work closely with Lee to promote regional stability, expressing hope that his visit would help further elevate Seoul-Tokyo ties.

Lee arrived in Nara for a two-day stay as part of reciprocal leader-level visits dubbed "shuttle diplomacy," aimed at sustaining the recent momentum in improving relations.

The two leaders first held summit talks on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Gyeongju in late October and briefly met again during the Group of 20 leaders' gathering in South Africa in November.

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