South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will meet in the South Korean city of Andong next week, extending a highly personalized diplomatic exchange at a time of shifting dynamics between the US and China, and mounting uncertainty over regional security.
Politics Facebook X LinkedIn Email Link Gift Expand Sanae Takaichi, left, and Lee Jae Myung at the Horyu-ji temple in Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture, Japan, in January.
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Send a tip to our reporters Site feedback: Take our Survey New Window Facebook X LinkedIn Email Link Gift By Heesu Lee May 15, 2026 at 3:00 AM UTC Bookmark Save South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will meet in the South Korean city of Andong next week, extending a highly personalized diplomatic exchange at a time of shifting dynamics between the US and China, and mounting uncertainty over regional security.
Takaichi will visit Lee’s hometown region of Andong in North Gyeongsang Province from May 19-20 at Lee’s invitation, according to a written statement from the presidential office. The visit comes after Lee traveled to Nara, Takaichi’s political home turf, earlier this year, marking what Seoul described as the first exchange of visits between the hometown regions of South Korean and Japanese leaders.
