President Lee Jae Myung (R) and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi shake hands at an ancient temple in Nara Prefecture on Jan. 14, 2026, in this file photo. File Pool Photo by Yonhap
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will visit South Korea's central city of Andong next week for a two-day trip that will include summit talks with President Lee Jae Myung, the presidential office announced Friday.
The Japanese prime minister's trip, set to begin Tuesday, is part of the so-called "shuttle diplomacy" between the two neighboring countries and comes at an earlier invitation from Lee.
Lee and Takaichi last met in January when the South Korean president visited Nara Prefecture, the Japanese leader's hometown. Andong, located some 190 kilometers from Seoul in North Gyeongsang Province, is Lee's hometown.
The presidential office said Takaichi's upcoming trip will mark the first exchange of visits by incumbent leaders of South Korea and Japan to each other's hometowns.
