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Japan and South Korea Seal Plans to Deepen Economic and Security Cooperation at Nara Summit

The meeting locks in shuttle diplomacy to turn warmer ties into concrete cooperation.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae at a drum-off in Nara, Japan, Jan. 13, 2026 (photo via Lee’s official X account).
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South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (left) and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (right) smash out some K-pop hits after their talks in Nara, central Japan on January 13, 2026.
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Overview

  • Lee Jae Myung and Sanae Takaichi agreed to expand practical collaboration on supply chains, artificial intelligence and economic security, with working-level consultations to follow.
  • The leaders affirmed closer coordination on North Korea and trilateral efforts with the United States to strengthen regional stability.
  • They will pursue DNA testing and related humanitarian steps to identify Korean victims from the 1942 Chosei coal mine disaster in Yamaguchi Prefecture.
  • Both governments committed to regular high-level exchanges under revived shuttle diplomacy, with Takaichi slated for the next visit to South Korea.
  • The discussions unfolded as Japan’s rift with China widened through new export controls, and Lee calibrated ties after meeting Xi Jinping in Beijing last week.