Japan PM Takaichi Plans Bilateral Summit Visit to South Korea Around May 19–20

Reports emerged that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is planning a bilateral summit visit to South Korea around May 19–20, 2026, including a visit to President Lee Jae-myung's hometown of Andong. The agenda is expected to focus on economic security cooperation, energy security amid Middle East tensions, and critical mineral supply chains — areas where both nations have shared interests in reducing dependency on China. The visit would be among the first high-level bilateral summits between the two countries under both nations' new leadership.