Prime Minister Ishiba to visit South Korea on the 30th... Japan-South Korea summit to be held in Busan

At the invitation of President Lee Jae-myung, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will visit South Korea on the 30th for a two-day, one-night visit. The leaders of the two countries will hold a summit meeting and a dinner in Busan.
The visit is a return visit to South Korea following President Lee Jae-myung's visit to Japan in August, and it is expected that Prime Minister Ishiba will use the visit to South Korea to emphasize the improvement of Japan-South Korea relations.
Presidential Spokesperson Kang Yu-jeong said at the Presidential Office in Yongsan on the afternoon of the 26th, "Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will be visiting Korea for two days, one night, from September 30th to October 1st at the invitation of President Lee Jae-myung."
"The two leaders will visit the country," he said, adding, "They will hold a Japan-Korea summit meeting and dinner in Busan." However, the specific schedule for the two leaders cannot yet be revealed.
The spokesperson explained, "Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's visit to South Korea this time was due to the fact that the two leaders decided to meet in South Korea in the near future as a result of shuttle diplomacy that resumed in August."
President Lee Jae Myung had proposed holding the meeting in a local area rather than in Seoul," the spokesman said. "It will be the first time in 20 years that a Japanese prime minister will visit a city other than Seoul as part of shuttle diplomacy."
"It's been 21 years since Prime Minister Koizumi held a Japan-South Korea summit with President Roh Moo-hyun on Jeju Island in 2004," he added.
"Through this meeting, the leaders of Japan and South Korea hope to further strengthen the foundation for future-oriented cooperation between the two countries," the spokesman said.
"We will hold a frank exchange of views on measures to strengthen cooperation between Japan and Korea and Japan, the United States and Korea for regional peace and stability, as well as on issues of common interest in the region and globally," he said.
At the summit held in Japan in August, President Lee Jae Myung mentioned a local city in South Korea as the location for the next summit. At the time, President Lee Jae Myung told Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, "The Prime Minister will promote balanced regional development.
I understand that you have a particular interest in the exhibition, but if you visit Korea as part of your next shuttle diplomacy, I would like to meet you once in a local area of the Republic of Korea, not just in Seoul."
In a joint statement issued after the meeting, the two leaders agreed on the need to work together to address common issues facing the two countries, such as revitalizing regional areas, the problem of population concentration in the capital region, declining birthrates and aging populations, and population decline.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced his intention to resign on the 7th. With this, he will soon step down after the election for the new president of the Liberal Democratic Party is held on the 4th of next month.
This is interpreted as reflecting the will of both countries to continue mutual diplomacy and build a future-oriented relationship.