The diplomatic skills of the leaders of Japan and South Korea will be put to the test: President Lee will chair the APEC summit, while Prime Minister Takaichi will rush into diplomacy soon after taking office.

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit will be held in Gyeongju, southeastern South Korea, from the 31st of this month. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung will serve as the meeting's chair.
The country has pledged to pursue "pragmatic diplomacy centered on national interests," and its news agency, Yonhap News, pointed out that the true value of this will be tested at the APEC summit.
With Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and other leaders of major countries engaged in a diplomatic battle in Gyeongju, whether President Lee can maintain a diplomatic balance while protecting the national interest is expected to determine the momentum of his administration in the early stages of his term.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Takaichi, who took office on the 21st of this month, made her diplomatic debut by attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit on the 26th. Takaichi will be visiting Japan on the 28th to attend the summit.
With a summit meeting with the President and the APEC summit starting on the 31st, Takaichi is embarking on a diplomatic rush right after taking office. It has been pointed out that her diplomatic skills are unknown, but she has a packed diplomatic schedule.
The APEC summit will be held in South Korea for the first time in 20 years, since the 2005 summit in Busan, in the south of the country.
The event will be held at the Fabek Convention Center under the theme of "Building a Sustainable Future." The three priorities are "Connectivity," "Innovation," and "Prosperity," and the two countries will cooperate in the fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and other fields.
The main topics of discussion will be how to deal with the aging society. South Korea aims to make the APEC summit a success and restore its international standing, which was shaken by the "emergency martial law" imposed under the previous administration of President Yoon Seok-yeol.
President Lee will hold talks with the leaders of the United States and China on the occasion of the APEC summit. Both leaders will visit South Korea as state guests. The meeting with US President Trump will take place on the afternoon of the 29th.
He is also scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi on November 1st. Yonhap News reported, "President Lee will maintain a balance between the strong ROK-US alliance and ROK-US-Japan cooperation, while also avoiding a hostile relationship with China.
The Korean newspaper Dong-A Ilbo also pointed out that, "The growing struggle for hegemony between major powers, especially in Asia,
"Amid a wave of nationalism further strengthened by the tariff war initiated by the United States, a diplomatic battle will begin that will be a turning point for global security and trade order," he said, adding, "With the protracted tariff negotiations between South Korea and the United States and the North Korean
"Lee Jae-myung's diplomacy, which is facing the heavy challenge of rapprochement between China and the United States, has also been put to the test," he said. Lee is also expected to hold a Japan-Korea summit with Takaichi. Lee said that Takaichi will be the Prime Minister on the 21st of this month.
When he took office, he expressed his congratulations on social media, saying, "I look forward to meeting the Prime Minister in Gyeongju, where the APEC summit will be held, and having a constructive exchange of views."
Regarding the appointment of the new head of the Korean presidential office, Wi Sung-rak, head of the National Security Advisory Office, said on the 24th, "The date has not yet been finalized, but adjustments are being made at the working level."
"I would like to meet face-to-face with the Minister of Foreign Affairs at an early date and maintain the positive momentum of Korea-Japan relations," he said. Meanwhile, Takaichi participated online in the summit of the "Coalition of the Willing" supporting Ukraine on the evening of the 24th.
On the 26th, he attended the Japan-ASEAN Summit, which was attended by 10 ASEAN countries and East Timor, which is scheduled to become a full member of the ASEAN.
After this, she will hold a summit meeting with US President Trump, who will be visiting Japan on the 28th, and will visit South Korea on the 30th to attend the APEC summit.
He has served in a variety of positions, including Minister of State for Economic Security and Chairman of the LDP Policy Research Council, but has not held any major government or party positions in the field of diplomacy, and it has been pointed out that his diplomatic skills are unknown.
With Takaichi set to tackle a packed diplomatic schedule, attention is focused on her "Takaichi diplomacy."