Japan PM Takaichi May Visit S. Korea in March

Tokyo, Feb. 12 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi may visit South Korea in March to hold talks with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, informed sources said Thursday. The plan has emerged among Japanese and South Korean government officials as part of “shuttle diplomacy,” or mutual visits by the two countries’ leaders, according to Japanese government sources. The two leaders are expected to confirm the stable development of bilateral relations, which have been improving. Arrangements are currently underway for Takaichi to visit Washington on March 19 for talks with U.S. President Donald Trump. Takaichi may visit South Korea to coincide with the Japan-U.S. summit. In addition to Seoul, Lee’s hometown of Andong in North Gyeongsang Province, southeastern South Korea, is being considered as a possible venue for the Japan-South Korea summit. However, deliberations on the Japanese government’s fiscal 2026 budget proposal will begin at a special session of the Diet, Japan’s parliament, to be convened Wednesday, and are expected to continue into March. Against this background, the Japanese and South Korean governments will proceed with arrangements while closely monitoring the Diet’s deliberations. As prime minister, Takaichi made her first visit to South Korea last October. Last month, she welcomed Lee to her home prefecture of Nara in western Japan. On Monday, Lee congratulated the prime minister for leading her ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s landslide victory in Sunday’s election for the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet. In response, Takaichi said that she was looking forward to visiting South Korea as part of the shuttle diplomacy. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]