Prime Minister Ishiba, who has announced his resignation, will visit South Korea at the end of this month. Reasons and aims for the visit to be held in a regional city

It has been revealed that Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is making arrangements to visit South Korea at the end of this month. FNN (Fuji News Network) and other media outlets reported on the 12th. Lee Jae-myung, a local city in South Korea,
It is said that arrangements are underway to hold a Japan-South Korea summit meeting with President Lee Jae-myung. Ishiba is expected to step down as early as October, and this will be his final overseas visit as prime minister.
Late last month, Lee visited Japan for the first time since taking office as president in June and met with Ishiba. The two leaders will build on the foundations that have been built since the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and South Korea in 1965.
They also confirmed their intention to cooperate in efforts to deter North Korea's nuclear and missile development, and agreed to promote economic and cultural exchanges, as well as efforts to address the declining birthrate and aging population.
They also agreed to expand the working holiday program to further increase people-to-people exchanges.
After the meeting, the two leaders announced the results of their summit in writing for the first time in 17 years. At the meeting, they agreed to cooperate together on various issues facing the international community.
The statement also stated that the two sides agreed to develop future-oriented and stable relations based on the foundations that have been built since the normalization of diplomatic relations in 1965.
Lee's visit to Japan last month was positioned as the first of a series of "shuttle diplomacy" between leaders of the two countries.
By the way, the first summit was held in July 2004 on Cheju Island in South Korea between then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and President Roh Moo-hyun.
The two leaders held talks in Ibusuki, Kagoshima Prefecture in February and Seoul in June 2005, but the talks were temporarily suspended due to the worsening of Japan-Korea relations following growing opposition in South Korea to Koizumi's visit to Yasukuni Shrine.
The issue was revived between President Lee Myung-bak and Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, but in December 2011, during a meeting in Kyoto between Lee Myung-bak and Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, the issue of comfort women was discussed.
President Park Geun-hye did not visit Japan, and President Moon Jae-in agreed with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to resume "shuttle diplomacy," but no full-scale diplomacy was established.
However, in May 2023, talks were resumed between then-President Yun Seok-yeol and then-Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for the first time in 12 years.
At a meeting between Ishiba and Lee last month, they also agreed to launch inter-agency consultations on social issues such as regional revitalization.
Taking into account that Ishiba has advocated regional revitalization, he proposed that the next meeting be held in a regional city in South Korea. On the 12th of this month, Japanese media, including FNN, interviewed several government officials.
Based on this, it has been reported that Ishiba is making arrangements to visit a regional city in South Korea for two days starting on the 30th of this month and meet with Lee.
Meanwhile, Ishiba announced his resignation on the 7th of this month. South Korean media also reported the news. In South Korea, Ishiba is seen as a relatively moderate figure in Japan-South Korea relations.
South Korean media reported that uncertainty in Japan-South Korea relations has increased, as the next administration may be more conservative than the current one.
At a press conference held on the 11th to mark 100 days since his inauguration, Lee spoke about the future of Japan-Korea relations following Ishiba's announcement of his resignation.
"In accordance with basic principles, we will cooperate where necessary and correct where necessary," he said, indicating his intention to continue working together with the new administration.
Ishiba's visit to South Korea is the second in his "shuttle diplomacy" and is expected to be his last overseas visit as prime minister. The Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported, "(Ishiba
"We will discuss issues such as security and trade before the resignation of Prime Minister Abe. We will lay the groundwork for the next administration to continue good Japan-Korea relations," he said.