(LEAD) Lee says S. Korea, Japan should explore new areas of cooperation to deepen ties

▲ President Lee Jae Myung speaks during an interview with NHK in this photo captured from the Japanese broadcaster on Jan. 12, 2026. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲ President Lee Jae Myung (R) poses for a photo with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi ahead of their pull-aside meeting held on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Nov. 23, 2025. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

(LEAD) Lee-Japan relations

(LEAD) Lee says S. Korea, Japan should explore new areas of cooperation to deepen ties

(ATTN: UPDATES with latest details throughout; CHANGES photo)

By Kim Eun-jung

SEOUL, Jan. 12 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung said Monday that South Korea and Japan are important partners that share common values and have many areas of cooperation to further deepen bilateral ties.

Lee made the remarks in an interview with Japan's public broadcaster NHK, ahead of his visit to Japan's Nara Prefecture for summit talks with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Tuesday and Wednesday.

"In the complex situation facing Northeast Asia, Korea and Japan are very important to each other in that they share common values and orientation, and should complement each other's shortcomings," Lee said.

The meeting comes days after Lee's state visit to China for talks with President Xi Jinping, amid heightened tensions between Beijing and Tokyo following Takaichi's remarks on Taiwan.

Regarding South Korea's ban on seafood imports from eight Japanese prefectures, Lee said the issue needs to be addressed "over the long term," as it requires the trust of the Korean people and therefore cannot be resolved in the short term.

Lee said the issue is a major item on Seoul's diplomatic agenda as it seeks Tokyo's support for its bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

The CPTPP is a multilateral trade pact led by Japan that currently includes 12 members, including Australia and several countries in Southeast Asia and Latin America.

South Korea imposed the ban in 2013 over radiation concerns following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster and has vowed to keep the restrictions in place until public concerns are fully eased.

On security issues, Lee welcomed Takaichi's expression of intent to hold talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on the issue of Japanese nationals abducted to the North.

"In terms of peace and stability in Northeast Asia, talks between North Korea and the U.S. and between North Korea and Japan are very important," he said. "I think it is good for relations between Japan and North Korea to advance through dialogue and communication, and I would like to play a role in making that possible."

Lee's upcoming trip will mark his fifth summit with a Japanese prime minister since taking office last June. He held three rounds of talks with Takaichi's predecessor, Shigeru Ishiba, and held his first summit with Takaichi in October on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju.

Lee will visit the ancient city of Nara, Takaichi's hometown, as part of reciprocal leader-level visits dubbed "shuttle diplomacy" aimed at sustaining recent momentum in improved relations.

The upcoming talks are expected to cover regional and global issues, including North Korea, as well as cooperation in the economy, society and culture, Cheong Wa Dae said.

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