President Lee Jae-myung speaks by phone with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at the presidential office in Seoul on June 9. / Provided by the presidential office

President Lee Jae-myung held his first phone call with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on June 9 since taking office. According to the presidential office, the two leaders agreed to "build a more solid and mature relationship between Korea and Japan based on mutual respect, trust, and a responsible attitude." They also pledged to “work together to address various geopolitical challenges within the framework of trilateral cooperation among Korea, the U.S., and Japan.” Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs likewise said that “the two leaders shared views on the importance of Korea-Japan relations and trilateral cooperation, and confirmed their intention to steadily advance the bilateral relationship.” The two agreed to meet in person for deeper discussions, with their first face-to-face meeting expected to take place during the G7 Summit in Canada from June 15 to 17.

During the call, President Lee emphasized, “In today’s strategic environment, the importance of Korea-Japan relations has grown even further. I hope our two countries will work together to face future challenges and find mutually beneficial paths forward from the perspective of our national interests.” This reflects his commitment to a foreign policy rooted in pragmatism and national interest, as laid out in his inaugural address on June 4.

Trilateral cooperation among Korea, the U.S., and Japan is founded on their respective alliances with Washington. As the closest neighbors, Korea and Japan need to deepen bilateral ties, especially in light of mounting pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, including high tariffs and calls to join containment efforts against China. The need for cooperation in economic, diplomatic, and security matters has thus intensified. Without a stable relationship between Korea and Japan, effective trilateral coordination would be difficult to achieve.

In their first call, the two leaders avoided discussing contentious issues, instead focusing on the broader direction of bilateral ties. However, a truly "mature" Korea-Japan relationship requires not only mutual trust but also concrete action. In that sense, thorny issues like historical disputes and territorial claims, such as over Dokdo, cannot be overlooked. During his presidential campaign, Lee had emphasized the need to separate historical issues from exchanges in economics, society, and culture, while also saying that “resolving historical issues is essential for building a future-oriented relationship.” Ishiba may wish to maintain the status quo of improved relations achieved through unilateral concessions by the previous Yoon administration, but he must also acknowledge that the Korean public cannot accept Japan’s regressive views on history.

A mutually beneficial future for Korea-Japan relations will require a careful and nuanced approach, one that takes into account the interests of both countries and earns the support of both peoples. With the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan on June 22 and the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation two months later, both governments should seize these historic moments to elevate bilateral relations to a new level.