Leaders of Japan and South Korea Agree to Increase Cooperation Amid Regional Tensions

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung also discussed the importance of their relationships with the United States.
Leaders of Japan and South Korea Agree to Increase Cooperation Amid Regional Tensions
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (R) shakes hands with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung at the start of their meeting in Nara, Japan, on Jan. 13, 2026. Issei Kato/AP
|Updated:
0:00

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Jan. 13 agreed to increase cooperation, as both countries face regional security and diplomatic challenges.

Lee is in Japan for a two-day summit and said at the outset that cooperation between Seoul and Tokyo “is now more important than ever and anything else, as we have to continue moving forward to a new, better future amid this complex, unstable international order.”

Victoria Friedman
Victoria Friedman
Author
Victoria Friedman is a UK-based journalist covering a wide range of international stories, with a particular interest in technology, eastern Europe, and defense.