The Japan-South Korea summit was held under two ”exceptional circumstances”

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung visited Japan for the first time since taking office on the 23rd. He held a Japan-South Korea summit meeting with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, and agreed to promote cooperation to develop future-oriented Japan-South Korea relations.
The meeting lasted approximately two hours. First, a small meeting was held with limited attendees, and then an expanded meeting was held. At the beginning, Ishiba said, "In this extremely difficult strategic environment, I am very grateful to the first Japanese Prime Minister to visit Japan.
"I am very grateful for your kind words," Lee said. In response, Lee said, "I hope you understand that I attach great importance to Korea-Japan relations."
During the meeting, the two leaders agreed to build on the foundations that have been built since the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and South Korea in 1965, and to maintain stable relations between the two countries.
They also confirmed their intention to cooperate in efforts to deter North Korea's nuclear and missile development, and agreed to work together in a wide range of areas, including economic and cultural exchanges and measures to address the declining birthrate and aging population.
They also agreed to expand the working holiday program to further increase people-to-people exchanges.
After the meeting, the two leaders announced the results of their summit in writing for the first time in 17 years.
The two sides agreed to continue to cooperate in this regard, building on the foundations that have been built since the normalization of diplomatic relations in 1965.
Lee's visit to Japan this time was positioned as the first in a series of "shuttle diplomacy" between leaders. Japan-Korea shuttle diplomacy is a system in which the Japanese prime minister and the South Korean president visit each other to promote bilateral relations.
The idea was to hold a casual event at a resort-like location, and in July 2004, the event was held on Cheju Island in South Korea, where then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Roh Moo-hyun met.
The two leaders subsequently met in Ibusuki, Kagoshima Prefecture in December 2004 and in Seoul in June 2005, but Koizumi's visit to Yasukuni Shrine sparked outrage in South Korea.
It was later revived in 2008 between President Lee Myung-bak and Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, but was discontinued in December 2011 when Lee Myung-bak and Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda met in Kyoto.
At a meeting with Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, the issue of comfort women became the subject of an exchange of words, and relations were subsequently severed. President Park Geun-hye did not visit Japan, and President Moon Jae-in visited Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
However, in May 2022, former President Yoon Seok-yeol, who showed a desire to improve Japan-Korea relations, took office.
The tide turned with Lee. In May 2023, "shuttle diplomacy" was revived for the first time in 12 years with then Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Lee became president in June this year. At the time, he said he would visit Japan as soon as possible.
Lee left Japan on the 24th to head to the United States for the US-ROK summit, which was unusual for a South Korean president to visit Japan before his ally, the United States.
Some Japanese media outlets have also reported that the South Korean president's visit to Japan in August was "unusual." The 15th of that month is "Gwangbokjeol," a day celebrating South Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule, and anti-Japanese sentiment is prevalent around that time.
According to data from the South Korean Presidential Archives reported by the Yomiuri Shimbun, none of the eight presidents who have taken office since the declaration of democratization in 1987 have visited Japan in August.
The newspaper said, "In his Liberation Day speech this year, Lee called on Japan to squarely face up to its past history, while also stating that he would pursue a 'future-oriented' Japan-Korea relationship. His realistic thinking led him to visit Japan in August.
Lee is known for his long history of taking tough stances against Japan. He was the leader of the largest opposition party under the previous Yoon administration, which had established a friendly relationship with Japan, and he expressed his disapproval of the move.
However, Lee, who ran for president in the June election, was seen as the leading candidate from the start, and as the possibility of him becoming South Korea's leader became more and more real,
In a video posted on social media in May, with the presidential election approaching, he mentioned Japan-Korea relations, saying, "I really want to be friendly with Japan," and expressed his support for cultural exchange, the economy, and other areas.
He expressed his desire to advance cooperation with Japan. As president, Lee has advocated "pragmatic diplomacy." The reason behind his change from his previous hardline stance toward Japan is that he is no longer in conflict with Japan in diplomatic matters.
However, there are some within the Japanese government who believe that this is not a good idea, given the history of Japan-Korea relations to date, and are wary that Lee may take a more hard-line stance in the future, backed by domestic public opinion.
Regarding historical issues, Lee has indicated his intention to adhere to the agreements and solutions reached by previous administrations. However, support groups for comfort women and others have criticized this approach.
Regarding historical issues, Ishiba said at the meeting, "We will continue to uphold the overall position of previous cabinets, including the 1998 Japan-Korea Joint Declaration (which includes remorse and apology for Japan's colonial rule)."
In response, Li said, "We will treat difficult issues as difficult issues, but we will cooperate in areas where we can."