After wrapping up the Korea-Japan summit, Japan Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on the 19th gave President Lee Jae-myung a pair of frames from a famous Japanese eyeglass-producing region. Later, Takaichi borrowed the president's glasses, creating a warm, friendly moment between the two leaders.
Japan's Cabinet Public Affairs Office posted photos of the two leaders on X (formerly Twitter) that day under the title "A moment after the dinner." The photos show the president wearing different glasses from those used during the summit, and Takaichi, who normally does not wear glasses, holding up the glasses with both hands and smiling.
The official account of the Cabinet Public Affairs Office wrote in the photo caption, "Prime Minister Takaichi gave Sabae frames to President Lee, who always wears glasses, and while the president was trying them on, the prime minister quickly borrowed his glasses for a 'click.'"
Sabae is a world-renowned eyeglass production hub in Fukui Prefecture, Japan. It is known to account for more than 90% of Japan's eyeglass frame production. Fukui Prefecture is also the hometown of Yamamoto Taku, a former House of Representatives member and the spouse of Prime Minister Takaichi.
To mark the summit, the president prepared a set of "snowflake named (dish)" bowls as a gift for former lawmaker Yamamoto. The bowls, which depict snowflakes using zinc glaze and silver, are said to capture the snowy scenery of Fukui Prefecture, the hometown of Takaichi's spouse.
In the background of the photo of the two leaders wearing glasses together are also a wooden-framed piece featuring nine Andong Hahoetal masks that the president presented to Prime Minister Takaichi and a framed white porcelain moon jar.