In their third summit meeting, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru met in Busan on September 30, 2025, to reaffirm their shared commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The leaders also agreed to establish an intergovernmental consultative body to jointly address common societal challenges.

The 76-minute meeting was held at the Nurimaru APEC House on Dongbaekseom Island, making it the first time in 21 years a bilateral summit was held outside of Seoul, harkening back to the 2004 meeting between then-Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro and President Roh Moo-hyun in Jeju. The presidential office noted that although it was a working visit, the Japanese side was accorded hospitality comparable to a state visit.

Focus on Shared Societal Issues 

A key outcome of the summit was the agreement to operate a consultative body between authorities to tackle shared societal issues. This accord stems from discussions held during their previous meeting in Tokyo in August. The joint agreement outlines plans for regular consultations on pressing challenges, including low birth rates and aging populations, balanced regional growth, agriculture, disaster prevention, and suicide countermeasures.

President Lee initiated the discussion on common ground, stating in his opening remarks, "Korea and Japan face similar challenges in many aspects, one of which is the concentration of population in the capital region. I hope to build a close Korea-Japan relationship that not only shares social and economic commonalities but also extends to security issues and emotional understanding."

Prime Minister Ishiba echoed this sentiment, responding, "I believe it would be beneficial to build a bilateral relationship by sharing wisdom and experience to solve common social problems." He also expressed a desire to resume the bilateral Science and Technology Cooperation Committee. The leaders further discussed follow-up measures regarding future industry cooperation, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and hydrogen energy, which were first broached during the Tokyo summit.

Reaffirming Security and Peace Goals 

Regarding security, President Lee outlined his administration's plan for easing tensions and building trust to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue and achieve peace on the Korean Peninsula, requesting Japan's cooperation. Both leaders reaffirmed their firm commitment to the complete denuclearization and establishment of lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Furthermore, they engaged in an in-depth discussion on the viability and economic aspects of developing the Arctic shipping route.

The summit holds particular significance as it is likely Prime Minister Ishiba's last major diplomatic engagement before he is expected to step down. Ishiba, a politician often regarded as pro-South Korea, is set to leave office following the election of a new Liberal Democratic Party president and subsequent parliamentary appointment of a new prime minister on October 4. President Lee expressed hope that the momentum of improved bilateral relations would continue under the next Japanese administration.

Separately, the South Korean presidential office announced that First Lady Kim Hye-kyung did not accompany President Lee to the summit due to a sudden diagnosis of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, or 'ear stone disease.'

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