What Prime Minister Ishiba confirmed with South Korean President Lee on his final overseas trip before stepping down

On the 30th of last month, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba visited Busan in the southern part of South Korea and met with President Lee Jae-myung.
The two leaders agreed to continue to hold discussions on common social issues between Japan and South Korea. When Lee visited Japan for the first time since taking office as president in August this year and met with Ishiba, they agreed that the next visit would be to South Korea.
This was made possible because they had promised to meet in a regional city in the country. It was the first time in 21 years since 2004 that a Japanese prime minister visited a regional city in South Korea for a bilateral meeting.
The two sides have agreed to launch inter-agency consultations on social issues, including regional revitalization, and Busan was chosen as the venue for the meeting, taking into account Ishiba's support for regional revitalization. Busan is South Korea's second largest city, but its population is rapidly increasing.
In this situation, Lee is trying to eliminate the concentration of power in Seoul and promote balanced development. According to the Korean newspaper JoongAng Ilbo, Professor Cha Jae-gwon of the Department of Political Science and Diplomacy at Pukyong National University said,
In an interview with the newspaper, he said, "In the current situation where the relocation of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries is underway, President Lee mentioned balanced development (at the August meeting) and chose Busan as the meeting venue, which conveys his message.
"This meeting may become an opportunity to draw policy attention not only to Busan but to the entire southeastern region (Busan city and the surrounding Ulsan and Gyeongsangnam-do areas)," he said.
For Ishiba, who has announced his resignation as prime minister, this visit to South Korea is expected to be his last overseas visit as prime minister. The Mainichi Shimbun reported, "In Japan, his overseas visit just before stepping down as prime minister was being described as a 'graduation trip.'
"There were some cold voices saying, 'This is a silly thing to do,' but the mood on the Korean side, including the citizens of Busan, was welcoming," he said. Prior to the meeting, Ishiba spoke about the incident in which he fell from a platform at JR Shin-Okubo Station in Tokyo in 2001.
I visited the grave of Lee Soohyeon (26 at the time), a Korean student who died while trying to help someone. This is the first time that a sitting Japanese prime minister has visited Lee's grave. During his lifetime, Lee was a key figure in the Japan-Korea relations.
He had expressed his desire to become a bridge between the two countries, so his parents established a foundation. Lee's mother, Shin Yun-chan, runs the LSH Asia Scholarship Foundation, which supports Asian students studying in Japan.
To date, the organization has supported over 1,000 international students. Ishiba visited Lee's grave and laid flowers in front of the tomb. He expressed his gratitude for Shin's efforts.
At the summit meeting that followed, Ishiba mentioned visiting the grave at the beginning, saying, "I paid tribute to Lee Soo-hyun, who sacrificed his life for others."
"I would like to express my respect once again for his aspirations and rich love for humanity," he said. The meeting lasted approximately 70 minutes, and the two sides exchanged views on common issues facing Japan and South Korea, such as regional revitalization and the declining birthrate and aging population. The Prime Minister said, "Today marks three years since I became Prime Minister.
"It's the 65th day," he said, adding, "I feel it is significant that I was able to conclude this diplomatic journey with a meeting with President Lee." Lee said, "The more difficult the world becomes, the more important it is for neighbors to have exchanges with each other."
"I would like to continue to visit and develop the relationship together," he said. Lee has met with Ishiba three times in the four months since taking office in June. The Sankei Shimbun reported that "Lee, who was known for his anti-Japanese behavior during his time as leader of the opposition party, has been in a difficult position since he was appointed as 'Chatt'.
"The reason behind the rush to establish 'China-ROK diplomacy' is that it is judged that stability in Japan-South Korea relations is essential given the mounting issues, including tariff negotiations with the United States," he explained.
Regarding "shuttle diplomacy," Ishiba said, "Since Japan and South Korea are so close to each other,
It is entirely possible to make a day trip. We will continue to make efforts to ensure that shuttle diplomacy produces results every time," Lee said. "We will establish shuttle diplomacy and work together to ensure that the two countries can meet at the right time and place.
The two leaders discussed common issues facing both countries, such as population decline, regional revitalization, and cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and hydrogen energy.
After the meeting, the two governments issued a joint document stating that they would continue to hold inter-governmental consultations to resolve social issues.
Ishiba announced that he had been in office for one year. In response to an interview with reporters in Busan, he reflected, "I have done my best with all my heart and soul," and added, "The evaluation will be made by the people of the next generation."
"I think so. I have no intention of boasting or listing them here," he said. Japan-South Korea relations have remained good, and South Korea is paying close attention to whether this relationship will be maintained under the new prime minister.