Overview
- The leaders met Oct. 30 in Gyeongju during the APEC summit, which included China’s Xi Jinping and, until Oct. 30, U.S. President Donald Trump.
- Both sides emphasized managing differences in a stable, forward-looking way, with Takaichi acknowledging disagreements that come with being neighbors.
- Lee used a Facebook post on Oct. 31 to reaffirm a future-oriented approach and to describe the two countries as neighbors sharing a front yard.
- They agreed to maintain active communication through reciprocal visits, and Lee expressed hope for a next meeting in a Japanese regional city outside Tokyo.
- Relations remain fragile due to unresolved wartime-era grievances, as analysts caution that domestic politics and symbolic gestures could quickly strain cooperation.