[Provisional translation]
On May 19, 2026 (local time), Prime Minister Takaichi, who is visiting Andong, the Republic of Korea, held a joint press occasion with President LEE Jae Myung.
Prime Minister Takaichi made the following remarks during the joint press occasion.
(Prime Minister Takaichi)
Good afternoon, everyone. First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to President Lee Jae Myung and to the people of the Republic of Korea for the warm welcome extended to me and the Japanese delegation. I am especially pleased to meet the President again here in Andong, his hometown.
Following our meeting in Nara last time and now here in Andong, our respective hometowns, I feel that carrying out “shuttle diplomacy” in quick succession has further strengthened and deepened the friendship and trust between President Lee and myself.
I am very pleased to visit Andong, which is blessed with rich traditions and culture as well as beautiful nature, and I would like to once again express my sincere appreciation for the President’s thoughtful hospitality.
At a time when the international community is undergoing profound change and the world as a whole is becoming increasingly unstable, I believe it is of great significance that the leaders of Japan and the ROK are engaging in close communication through “shuttle diplomacy.”
Based on this recognition, President Lee and I held a candid exchange of views on Japan-ROK relations as well as the situation in the Indo-Pacific region with the situation in the Middle East in mind. In that context, we agreed that we will each continue to make efforts toward de-escalating the situation, including by ensuring the free and safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
In light of the current international situation, we shared the recognition on the importance of Japan and the ROK taking the initiative in promoting peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific region, including maintaining and strengthening deterrence and response capabilities through the Japan-U.S. Alliance, the U.S.-ROK Alliance, and their strategic coordination.
In light of the current international situation, cooperation on supply chains between Japan and the ROK, including those for critical minerals, is important. We welcomed the Supply Chain Partnership Arrangement signed in March and confirmed that we will actively promote such cooperation.
Moreover, in order to realize a Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP), also for Japan and the ROK themselves, it is important for Japan and the ROK to work together and play their respective roles to enhance autonomy and resilience of countries in the region and support regional supply chains.
From this perspective, President Lee and I welcomed our agreement to launch a Japan-ROK cooperation initiative under “POWERR Asia,” announced last month, and to jointly consider concrete actions, based on two pillars: (i) strengthening energy supply resilience including stockpiling in the Indo-Pacific region, and (ii) enhancing energy security for both Japan and the ROK including mutual supply and swaps of crude oil, petroleum products and LNG.
With regard to artificial intelligence (AI), which is simultaneously an emerging challenge and opportunity, as well as the increasingly important field of economic security as a whole, we also confirmed that Japan and the Republic of Korea will continue discussions between the relevant authorities with the aim of promoting mutually beneficial cooperation so that both countries may grow stronger and more prosperous together.
Transnational organized fraud is a shared challenge for Japan and the Republic of Korea. I welcome the signing of the Japan–ROK Memorandum of Cooperation on Countering Organized Fraud.
In the field of security, building upon the Japan–ROK Summit Meeting held this January, I welcome the recent convening—at the vice-ministerial level for the first time—of the Japan–ROK Security Dialogue. I look forward to steadily advancing cooperation between our two countries.
In light of the increasingly severe international security environment, the President and I concurred on the importance of strategic coordination, including Japan–ROK and Japan–ROK–U.S. security cooperation, and we welcome the advancement already made in concrete areas of cooperation. We reaffirmed our shared determination to further enhance information-sharing and cooperation in order to continue and bolster concrete trilateral cooperation, including in the areas of security and economic security.
With regard to North Korea, we held discussions on our policies towards North Korea, including its nuclear and missile issues, and reaffirmed that Japan and the Republic of Korea, as well as Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the United States, will continue to work closely together. On the abductions issue, I would once again like to express my sincere appreciation for the President’s continued support toward its immediate resolution.
Based on today’s summit meeting, and with a view to contributing to peace and stability in the region and the international community, as well as elevating Japan–ROK relations to even greater heights, I intend to continue close communication at all levels in order to broaden the scope of our cooperation.
Fortunately, there is no time difference between our two countries, and we agreed that should either of us encounter any difficulties or concerns—whether bilateral matters or issues relating to other countries—we will speak frequently by telephone and maintain close and candid communication.
Our next meeting will take place in Japan. I very much look forward to welcoming the President and to taking him to one of our country’s beautiful destinations—perhaps even to an onsen (hot spring). I shall give thoughtful consideration to where best to host him.
That concludes my remarks. Thank you very much.
