Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi holds talks with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung in Andong, South Korea, on May 19, 2026. (©Kyodo)
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung agreed Tuesday to deepen cooperation on energy resilience and regional security coordination, using their latest summit in the South Korean city of Andong to reinforce a fragile but increasingly strategic rapprochement between the two neighbors.
The meeting in Lee's hometown followed his January visit to Takaichi's hometown of Nara, extending a symbolic round of shuttle diplomacy aimed at stabilizing relations often strained by historical disputes.
This was their third summit and fourth face-to-face meeting.
Fueling a Thaw
"At a time of rapidly shifting international order, the two leaders reaffirmed the importance of South Korea-Japan and South Korea-US-Japan cooperation for regional peace and stability," Lee said at the joint press conference.
Takaichi struck a similar note, saying close communication through shuttle diplomacy had become more meaningful at a time when "the international community is in flux," and societies face growing instability.
The most concrete outcome was energy security, an issue that has gained urgency as turmoil in the Middle East has exposed Japan and South Korea's dependence on vulnerable supply routes. As two of Asia's largest energy importers, both rely heavily on seaborne crude oil shipments, making disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz an immediate economic concern.
Lee said the two sides agreed that instability in supply chains and energy markets stemming from the recent Middle East crisis had made closer bilateral coordination more necessary. Building on a liquefied natural gas supply cooperation agreement signed in March, he said the two countries would expand LNG cooperation while deepening information-sharing and communication channels on crude oil supply and stockpiling.
Signed between Korea Gas Corp and Japan's JERA, the March agreement seeks to improve the stability and efficiency of LNG supply management through enhanced coordination on shipping, terminal operations, supply-demand trends, and possible cargo swaps.
Takaichi also confirmed that the two sides had agreed to diversify energy supply chains and strengthen economic security cooperation. She said Japan and South Korea would work together under Japan-led POWERR Asia initiative, while also pursuing deeper collaboration in artificial intelligence and other fields tied to economic resilience.
Deterrence Beyond Hormuz
The leaders also reaffirmed the importance of stronger bilateral and trilateral coordination with Washington in responding to a range of security challenges.
Takaichi said the two sides agreed to continue their respective efforts to help calm the Middle East situation, including by ensuring free and safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
Since the outbreak of the Iran war in February, President Donald Trump has repeatedly called on US allies, including Tokyo and Seoul, to contribute militarily to efforts to break the Iran-led blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Beyond the Middle East, Takaichi said they shared the view that Tokyo and Seoul should work actively to maintain and strengthen deterrence and response capabilities in the Indo-Pacific through their respective alliances with the US and closer strategic coordination among the three countries.
That emphasis reflects a broader shift in Northeast Asia. Japan and South Korea remain divided over parts of their wartime history, but they face a similar set of security pressures: North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile programs and China's maritime assertiveness.
On North Korea, Takaichi said she and Lee discussed Pyongyang's nuclear and missile development. She also thanked Lee for his support for the immediate resolution of the issue of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea, a politically sensitive matter that remains a priority for Tokyo.
Lee, for his part, said he explained his government's goal of building "a peaceful Korean Peninsula" where the two Koreas can coexist and grow together without being drawn into conflict. The formulation reflected Lee's continued emphasis on managing inter-Korean tensions even as North Korea has moved in the opposite direction, revising its constitution to drop references to unification.
China in the Background
Lee noted that given Northeast Asia is tightly interconnected across economic and security issues, South Korea, China, and Japan should "pursue genuine regional peace and stability through mutual respect and finding shared interests."
Takaichi avoided any direct reference to China, likely reflecting the sensitivity of strained Tokyo-Beijing ties after her remarks last November on a possible Taiwan contingency. Beijing has since tightened economic pressure on Japan, including restrictions on rare earth-related exports, further strengthening Tokyo's case for diversifying supply chains for critical minerals and other strategic goods.
For Lee, the Andong meeting offered a chance to show that his outreach to Japan is producing practical gains just ahead of critical local elections in June. For Takaichi, it reinforced her effort to keep South Korea close as Japan expands its security and economic role in the Indo-Pacific while navigating tensions with China.
The latest summit did not offer a breakthrough on more politically sensitive economic issues, including South Korea's possible accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership or the resumption of Japanese seafood imports.
South Korea has maintained a ban on seafood imports from Fukushima and seven other Japanese prefectures since 2013, citing radiation concerns after the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident.
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Author: Kenji Yoshida
