President Lee Jae-myung will hold a summit with Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in his hometown of Andong, North Gyeongsang, for two days starting on the 19th. The visit to Korea came together as a "reciprocal" response to President Lee's invitation to Andong after he visited Takaichi's hometown of Nara Prefecture in January.
Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said on the 15th, "About four months after President Lee Jae-myung's visit to Nara, Japan, in January this year, Prime Minister Takaichi is reciprocating with a visit to Andong, allowing Korea and Japan to achieve, for the first time, mutual hometown visits between leaders."
The two leaders will share schedules on the 19th, including small-group and expanded summit talks, a joint press announcement, and a dinner, followed by a social program. In particular, they plan to discuss broadly the direction of development in Korea-Japan relations and exchange views on ways to strengthen cooperation on people's livelihood issues such as regional and global challenges, the economy, society, and the protection of the public amid the protracted phase in the Middle East.
The Spokesperson said, "Shuttle diplomacy with Prime Minister Takaichi will expand its stage from Gyeongju to Nara, and then to Andong and other regional cities," adding, "We expect this to serve as an opportunity to deepen the strong bonds and trust between the two leaders and to further solidify the foundation for future-oriented development of Korea-Japan relations."