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South Korea, Japan Set AI/IP Talks and Security Coordination at Nara Summit

The session underscored Seoul's shift to practical, institutional cooperation to steady regional ties.

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South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and his wife Kim Hye-kyung arrive at Kansai International Airport in Izumisano, Osaka prefecture, Japan January 13, 2026, in this photo taken by Kyodo. Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS
Japan's new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi delivers her first policy speech in the parliament, in Tokyo, Japan, October 24, 2025. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo
Protesters shout slogans during a rally in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. The poster with Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, center, reads, "Stop the military cooperation," and "Apology for war crime." The poster, upper right, reads, "Dokdo is South Korea's own territory," and "Denounce, Takaichi's comment on Dokdo." The poster lower right, reads, "Oppose the military cooperation with Japan." (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Overview

  • The leaders launched working-level consultations on artificial intelligence and intellectual property to deepen technological collaboration.
  • Both sides reaffirmed complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and will coordinate trilaterally with the United States on North Korea policy.
  • Seoul and Tokyo agreed to recover and conduct DNA identification of remains from the 1942 Chosei undersea coal mine disaster in Yamaguchi Prefecture.
  • The governments will strengthen joint responses to transnational crimes, including online scams, and adopt a document to formalize bilateral cooperation.
  • Shuttle diplomacy will continue as Lee balances ties following his Beijing visit, with economic-security concerns shaped by Japan–China tensions and unresolved issues such as South Korea's Fukushima-area seafood ban linked to its CPTPP bid.