Seoul to Tokyo: President Lee Forges Ties Amid Trade Shifts

Seoul, Aug 13 (AP) South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is set to visit Tokyo next week to engage in discussions with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, following which he will head to Washington for a summit with President Donald Trump. This series of meetings highlights how Trump's trade policies are fostering closer ties between South Korea and Japan, despite their historical tensions.

During his visit from August 23–24, President Lee aims to strengthen his personal relationship with Prime Minister Ishiba and firm up bilateral relations. Talks will focus on enhancing trilateral cooperation with the United States, promoting "regional peace and stability," and addressing global issues, according to presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung.

The meeting takes place shortly after both South Korea and Japan secured trade agreements with the United States. These deals have protected their economies from Trump's steep tariffs, lowering proposed reciprocal duties from 25 percent to 15 percent in exchange for significant US investments.

Lee and Ishiba previously met during the G7 summit in Canada this June, where they emphasized the importance of building a forward-looking relationship and pledged to collaborate on issues such as trade and North Korea's nuclear threats.

Historically, the relationship between these two US allies has been tense due to Japan's occupation of the Korean Peninsula during World War II. The former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol had attempted to mend these ties, including making compromises on compensation to Korean victims of Japanese wartime abuses, to strengthen trilateral security cooperation against North Korean threats.

However, Yoon's presidency ended abruptly after his brief imposition of martial law led to his ouster, casting doubt over future Seoul-Tokyo relations. President Lee, who took office in June after an early presidential election, has adopted a pragmatic approach towards Japan, focusing on strengthening South Korea's alliance with the United States and cooperation with Japan.

There are growing calls within South Korea to deepen collaboration with Japan in response to Trump's administration, particularly due to apprehensions over tariff hikes and the US's demands for allies to invest more in their own defense.

Following his discussions with Ishiba, President Lee will proceed to Washington for an August 25 summit with President Trump, which will largely focus on trade and defense issues.

This meeting with Trump comes amid concerns in Seoul over potential changes in the longstanding US-South Korea alliance, including demands for higher contributions to US troop presence costs and potential troop reductions as Washington shifts its focus toward China. (AP) NPK NPK

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