President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba met for 76 minutes in their third summit since June.

During the meeting in Busan on Tuesday, Lee called for the institutionalization of "shuttle diplomacy," saying Korea and Japan should “visit each other freely and build a relationship of emotional as well as economic closeness.”

He stressed cooperation on regional revitalization, noting that both countries face similar challenges with population concentration in capital areas.

Ishiba welcomed the meeting in Busan, recalling it as the departure point for Joseon missions to Japan centuries ago, and said frequent exchanges would show “how close our two nations really are.”

He urged cooperation on shared issues such as aging, low birth rates, energy self-sufficiency and food security, and proposed resuming a bilateral science and technology committee.

Both leaders agreed to expand collaboration in emerging fields, including artificial intelligence and hydrogen energy, while reaffirming that their shuttle diplomacy would serve as the foundation for a future-oriented partnership.

Earlier in the day, Ishiba paid respects at the grave of Lee Soo-hyun, a Korean student who died in Tokyo in 2001 while saving a Japanese commuter, praising his “noble spirit and endless love.”