President Lee Jae-myung and new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi held their first bilateral summit on Thursday in Gyeongju on the sidelines of the APEC gathering.

The meeting at the HICO Convention Center began at 6:02 p.m. and lasted 41 minutes, marking the two leaders’ first encounter since Takaichi took office earlier this month.

Lee said both nations share many similarities and must “strengthen future-oriented cooperation more than ever” amid turbulent geopolitical and trade conditions.

He added that Takaichi’s remarks about pursuing a “stable and forward-looking” relationship with Seoul echoed his own views “word for word.”

Takaichi thanked Lee for the warm welcome and said Japan and South Korea are “important neighbors” whose coordination “has only grown more vital” under the current circumstances.

She expressed confidence that shuttle diplomacy and close dialogue between the two leaders would lay a stable foundation for advancing bilateral ties.