President Lee Jae Myung is set to hold a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Tuesday in Nara Prefecture, the prime minister’s hometown, following his state visit to China last week.

In an interview with NHK ahead of his trip to Japan on Monday, Lee sought to distance South Korea from rising tensions between China and Japan over Taiwan, stressing that the issue is fundamentally a matter between Beijing and Tokyo and not one in which Seoul should be deeply involved.

Lee said he conveyed to Chinese President Xi Jinping during their summit last week that South Korea values its relationship with Japan as much as its ties with China.

He added that confrontation between China and Japan is undesirable for peace and stability in Northeast Asia and expressed hope that the two countries would resolve their differences through dialogue.

The president also said the issue of Japanese seafood imports could come up during his summit with Takaichi, calling it a long‑term challenge that must be addressed.

While acknowledging that emotional and trust‑related concerns among the South Korean public make short‑term progress difficult, he said the matter should still be addressed, particularly as Seoul seeks Japan’s cooperation to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans‑Pacific Partnership.

Regarding Japan–North Korea relations, Lee said it would be desirable for the two sides to move toward dialogue, communication and even normalization of ties, adding that South Korea intends to help create conditions for such progress.