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42m ago

Busan Summit Revives Shuttle Diplomacy as Lee and Ishiba Unveil Joint Social Policy Plan

A new document commits regular coordination on demographics, regional revitalization, advanced technologies as Ishiba prepares to step down.

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A member of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, wearing masks of U.S. President Donald Trump, protests against Trump's tariff policy on South Korea near the presidential office in Seoul, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. The signs read "Stop investment and Oppose alliance?" (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba visits the grave of South Korean student Lee Soo-hyun at a cemetery in the southeastern port city of Busan on Sept. 30, 2025, to pay tribute to Lee, who was killed attempting to rescue a Japanese man from a subway train track in Tokyo in 2001. (Yonhap)
Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba addresses the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, at U.N. headquarters. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

Overview

  • President Lee Jae Myung and outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba held their third, likely final, summit in Busan, the first visit by a Japanese leader to a South Korean city outside Seoul in 21 years.
  • The leaders issued a joint document directing agencies to regularly coordinate on low birth rates, aging populations, urban concentration, suicide prevention, emergency response, and agricultural and energy self-sufficiency.
  • Ishiba proposed reviving the bilateral Science and Technology Cooperation Committee, aligning with the focus on AI, hydrogen and other advanced technologies.
  • Trade was not on the formal agenda, but officials said the leaders compared notes on U.S.-related trade pressures as Tokyo finalizes a framework with 15% tariffs and a $550 billion investment pledge, while Seoul’s $350 billion plan remains under negotiation.
  • Ishiba paid respects at the grave of Lee Soo-hyun in Busan in a symbolic gesture of reconciliation before returning to Japan ahead of the Liberal Democratic Party’s leadership selection.