Korea-Japan ties deepen through reciprocal visits to leaders' hometowns

President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi met in Lee’s hometown of Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, Tuesday, reflecting deepening bilateral ties through continued summit diplomacy since Lee took office in June last year. The Andong summit was part of the two leaders’ reciprocal hometown visits, following Lee’s trip to Nara Prefecture in Japan in January. It also marked Lee and Takaichi’s third meeting. Their first encounter occurred in October 2025 on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. The three summits also brought Lee’s total number of one-on-one meetings with Japanese leaders to six since taking office, with the first three held with Takaichi’s predecessor, Shigeru Ishiba. “The reciprocal summit diplomacy is expanding its stage from Gyeongju to various regional cities such as Nara and Andong,” Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said. “It is expected to further deepen the strong bond and trust between the two leaders, while strengthening the foundations of future-oriente

Original source: Korea Times