The meeting in Andong, a historic southeastern South Korean city known for its UNESCO-listed folk village, marked the second leg of an unprecedented series of hometown summits between the leaders. In January, Lee traveled to Takaichi’s hometown of Nara, becoming the first South Korean leader to hold a bilateral summit in a Japanese counterpart’s hometown.

South Korea’s presidential office said the latest meeting was intended to reinforce mutual trust and maintain momentum in bilateral ties, while Takaichi said before the talks that cooperation between Seoul and Tokyo was increasingly important given instability in the Indo-Pacific and the Middle East.

The summit agenda included economic and energy cooperation, the impact of the Iran conflict and broader regional security concerns, according to officials from both governments.

Analysts said the meeting reflected a strategic decision by both countries to prioritize coordination over unresolved historical disputes rooted in Japan’s 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.

“The two countries put more emphasis on agenda for cooperation than contentious issues,” said Choi Eunmi, a Japan specialist at the Seoul-based Asan Institute for Policy Studies. “They would now think constantly fluctuating or negative bilateral ties won’t be helpful to anyone.”

Relations between South Korea and Japan improved significantly in 2023 after previous administrations sought to move beyond disputes involving wartime forced labor and the issue of so-called comfort women, while strengthening coordination on regional security and supply chain resilience.

Both countries remain key United States allies confronting shared concerns over China’s regional influence and North Korea’s expanding nuclear and missile programs.

Observers initially questioned whether ties would remain stable after Lee, viewed as a political liberal, and Takaichi, known for her conservative nationalist credentials and hawkish security positions, entered office last year. However, the two leaders have maintained frequent engagement and public displays of cooperation.

In August last year, Lee selected Japan as the destination for his first bilateral summit after taking office, an unusual diplomatic move for a South Korean president. During a January meeting in Nara, the leaders participated in a public music session featuring K-pop songs, including BTS’ “Dynamite,” reflecting efforts to project warmer bilateral relations.

Analysts say broader geopolitical shifts have accelerated the rapprochement between Seoul and Tokyo, including concerns over US President Donald Trump and his administration’s trade and security policies, as well as the economic fallout from the Iran conflict.

Both South Korea and Japan have pledged major investments in the United States, while navigating uncertainty linked to tariffs, supply chain disruptions and evolving US security commitments in Asia.
Experts cautioned, however, that unresolved historical grievances could still trigger future tensions if left unaddressed.

“Both countries aren’t talking about how to resolve and prevent recurrences of conflicts over those issues,” Choi said. “We don’t know when they could occur again.”

Bank of Japan data released Friday showed the corporate goods price index (CGPI), which measures prices companies charge each other for goods and services, rose 4.9% in April from a year earlier, sharply exceeding market forecasts for a 3.0% increase.
The annual increase was the fastest since May 2023 and accelerated significantly from March’s 2.9% rise.

The figures underscored the growing impact of higher import costs on Japan’s economy following disruptions to oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz amid the Iran conflict. Japan remains heavily dependent on imported energy, particularly crude oil from the Middle East.

The yen-denominated import price index jumped 17.5% in April from a year earlier, marking the steepest increase since December 2022 and reflecting both elevated global energy prices and the weaker yen’s effect on import costs.

On a monthly basis, wholesale prices rose 2.3% in April after increasing 1.0% in March, the data showed.
Petroleum and coal product prices climbed 5.3% from a year earlier as crude oil and jet fuel costs rose, while chemical goods prices surged 9.2%, the strongest increase since September 2022. Naphtha prices soared 79.4%, according to the report.

The data came a day after a Bank of Japan policymaker called for raising interest rates “at the earliest stage possible” to contain inflationary pressures stemming from higher fuel costs and supply disruptions linked to the Middle East conflict.

Economists said the breadth of price increases would be closely monitored by policymakers assessing whether inflation pressures are becoming more entrenched across the broader economy.

“If price rises are contained to oil-related goods, there is little need for the BOJ to respond,” said Masato Koike, senior economist at Sompo Institute Plus.
“But if they broaden to a wide range of goods, the BOJ will likely have to raise rates,” he said.

The inflation surge adds to pressure on the central bank as it seeks to normalize monetary policy after years of ultra-low interest rates and stimulus measures aimed at reviving growth and inflation.

Speaking in Canberra after talks with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Takaichi said both countries would act with urgency to strengthen energy security amid a supply squeeze linked to reduced shipping through the strait.

Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil typically transits through the Strait of Hormuz, with flows curtailed after Iran throttled shipping following attacks by the United States and Israel. About 80 percent of that oil is destined for Asia, according to the International Energy Agency.

“The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has been inflicting enormous impact on the Indo-Pacific,” Takaichi told reporters, adding that Japan and Australia would maintain close communication to respond to the situation.

Both governments said they would seek to enhance resilience and autonomy in energy supply chains. Australia is Japan’s largest supplier of liquefied natural gas, while Japan provides a share of refined fuel products, including diesel, to Australia.

The two sides issued a series of agreements covering energy, economic cooperation, defense and critical minerals. Albanese said the measures would help shield Australia from “global shocks” stemming from conflict in the Middle East.

Japan has also emphasized the importance of securing stable supplies of critical minerals used in semiconductors, electric vehicle batteries and defense systems. Australia has positioned itself as a key supplier of such resources, highlighting its reserves as an alternative to concentrated global supply chains.

Defense cooperation has expanded alongside economic ties, including a deal valued at around Aus$10 billion for Japan to supply Mogami-class stealth warships to the Australian navy.

In a separate foreign policy address in Vietnam over the weekend, Takaichi reiterated Japan’s commitment to a “free and open Indo-Pacific,” a strategy aimed at strengthening regional security and supply chain resilience.
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Ukrainian Ambassador to Japan Yurii Lutovinov told Reuters the policy change by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was “a very big step forward,” even though Japan still restricts exports to active conflict zones.

“This allows us to talk,” Lutovinov said, adding that any future transfer would require a defense technology agreement between the two countries.Kyiv is also seeking Japanese investment for domestic air-defense systems to reduce dependence on U.S.-made Patriot missiles and is discussing Tokyo’s possible participation in NATO’s arms-funding mechanism for Ukraine.

Japan has linked Ukraine’s security to its own concerns over China’s growing military power and tensions around Taiwan, with Tokyo viewing the war as part of a broader global security challenge.

UNESCO is expanding efforts to protect living heritage across Small Island Developing States (SIDS), arguing that traditional knowledge systems are increasingly essential to disaster preparedness and climate resilience as island nations face rising environmental threats.

From the Pacific to the Caribbean, communities are using inherited practices such as cyclone-resistant housing, traditional medicine, oral storytelling, food preservation and weaving not only to preserve cultural identity, but also to respond to increasingly severe climate pressures including rising sea levels, volcanic activity, floods, cyclones and displacement.

UNESCO said these practices, often passed down through generations, represent both vulnerable cultural assets and practical tools for survival, particularly in remote communities with limited access to formal infrastructure.

Small Island Developing States account for less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet remain among the most exposed to the consequences of climate change because of their geography, dependence on natural resources and vulnerability to extreme weather events.

In response, UNESCO, with financial support from the Government of Japan, launched a regional project involving communities in Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu, Belize and The Bahamas to strengthen the role of intangible cultural heritage in disaster risk reduction.

The project focused on documenting community practices, supporting transmission of traditional knowledge and connecting local communities with disaster management authorities so cultural knowledge could be integrated into formal resilience planning.

UNESCO said the approach reflects a broader recognition that living heritage can serve as both a safeguard and a response mechanism during emergencies.On Vanuatu’s Tanna Island, for example, community member Warau Frederick described traditional cyclone shelter construction as both cultural preservation and physical protection.

Vanuatu is among the countries most exposed to climate-related disasters in the Pacific, regularly facing cyclones, volcanic eruptions and displacement pressures. Communities there continue to rely on long-established building methods using local materials and inherited techniques to construct shelters capable of withstanding severe weather.

Frederick said he learned the process from his uncle and chose to build a shelter for his family before cyclone season, reflecting how traditional architecture remains embedded in everyday preparedness.Traditional weaving also remains economically significant in the same communities.

Eva Namri, a community member on Tanna Island and a knowledge bearer of traditional weaving, said the practice serves as a financial safety net during periods of hardship.“Weaving brings a great deal of income to my family,” Namri said. “It supports us whenever we face financial difficulties.

The biggest challenge for weaving comes from natural disasters.”UNESCO said such examples show how cultural practices operate simultaneously as economic resilience tools and heritage systems, particularly where formal income opportunities are limited.

Across the Caribbean, communities participating in the project focused on preserving food systems and traditional medicine as part of local resilience strategies.

In Fiji, where flooding and environmental changes increasingly threaten food security, communities relied on traditional fishing, farming methods and collective cooperation to maintain access to food.

In Vanuatu, people facing repeated displacement from volcanic activity and cyclones used early warning knowledge, gardening systems and traditional housing practices to reduce vulnerability.In Tonga, communities displaced by a volcanic eruption and tsunami emphasized the importance of oral traditions and craft practices not only for cultural continuity but also for mental well-being and livelihood recovery after disaster.

UNESCO said the project also created longer-term institutional foundations by identifying community members to serve as Intangible Cultural Heritage ambassadors, responsible for helping sustain and transmit traditional practices beyond the duration of the program.These local ambassadors were tasked with ensuring knowledge transfer, particularly in communities facing relocation or demographic shifts that risk interrupting intergenerational learning.

For many participants, the initiative also had direct economic implications.Feleti Akauola, a community member from Atata in Tonga, said relocation after disaster created uncertainty over how families could rebuild sustainable livelihoods.

He said guidance from Sitiveni Fehoko, a community trainer and intangible cultural heritage ambassador, helped communities think about traditional knowledge not only as preservation, but as a source of income and long-term stability.

“One of the key aspects of the project was that it strengthened me in many ways,” Akauola said. “It explained ways we could earn a living, especially for those of us who had been relocated. This was very encouraging, and it gave me and my wife the idea to start our work and make a living for our family.”UNESCO said this illustrates how cultural safeguarding increasingly intersects with economic adaptation, particularly in island states where environmental shocks can quickly translate into displacement, unemployment and food insecurity

.The agency has argued that disaster planning should not treat heritage solely as something to be protected after crisis, but as an active component of prevention and recovery strategies.As climate risks intensify globally, UNESCO said living heritage offers continuity that extends beyond formal emergency responses, helping communities retain identity while adapting to rapidly changing environmental conditions.

The organization said the project also raised awareness of vulnerable traditions that may otherwise disappear as migration, urbanization and repeated disasters disrupt local transmission systems.Even in cases of displacement, UNESCO found that communities continued practicing oral traditions, crafts and local environmental knowledge, reinforcing the adaptability of living heritage under pressure.

The initiative aligns with broader United Nations Sustainable Development Goals related to climate resilience, cultural sustainability and inclusive development, particularly in regions where environmental vulnerability and cultural preservation are closely linked.UNESCO said future efforts will continue to focus on integrating heritage protection into national disaster reduction policies while supporting local ownership of cultural safeguarding.

For Small Island Developing States, the agency said, resilience increasingly depends not only on infrastructure and funding, but also on whether communities can retain the knowledge systems that have helped them survive for generations.

Haga, now 31, has spent the past six days helping fight a wildfire that has scorched more than 1,600 hectares of forest around Otsuchi in Iwate Prefecture, with no immediate sign of containment despite the deployment of around 1,400 firefighters and dozens of Japan Self-Defense Force personnel, according to local authorities and Reuters witnesses.

“It’s been 15 years since the Great East Japan Earthquake, and our lives were finally beginning to settle down,” Haga said after another day on the fire line. “We can’t let people lose what is precious to them all over again.”

Otsuchi was among the towns hardest hit by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, when waves estimated at around 10 meters swept through the fishing community, killing nearly 1,300 residents — roughly a tenth of its population — including the town’s mayor. Haga was in high school when the disaster destroyed his family’s home.

The KRRO +1Now married with a toddler, he says the scale of the current fire is unlike anything he has experienced before.“The fire is spreading and our exhaustion is at a limit, but it’s our hometown,” he said. “We will protect it at all costs, even if it feels like we’re running on empty.”

The KRROThe wildfire comes as Japan faces increasing concern over larger and more frequent seasonal blazes, particularly during the hot, dry and windy weeks before the country’s rainy season begins. Another wildfire broke out on Sunday in neighboring Fukushima, also in northeastern Japan.

While Japan has historically seen fewer major wildfires than regions such as North America or Australia, firefighters and climate researchers say warming temperatures and drier early spring conditions are making containment more difficult.

For Haga, the threat is compounded by a longer-term challenge: Japan’s aging and shrinking population, which is leaving local volunteer fire brigades understaffed.

He said his brigade is already operating below official staffing targets.“If a forest fire breaks out when I’m in my 50s or 60s, and I’m the one gasping for breath while trying to fight it, I don’t think we’ll be able to stop it,” he said.

The KRRO +1Despite the strain, Haga hopes the determination shown by volunteer firefighters will inspire younger residents to step forward and help protect communities facing more frequent natural disasters.“The next generation might be inspired to join the volunteer fire brigade,” he said.

The KRROJapan, Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, wildfire, Ryota Haga, tsunami survivor, 2011 earthquake, Great East Japan Earthquake, forest fire, volunteer firefighter, Self-Defense Forces, climate change, Fukushima wildfire, disaster recovery, northeastern Japan, emergency response, natural disaster, population decline, firefighter shortage, coastal town, resilience, wildfire crisis

Wong said the meetings were aimed at strengthening coordination with key regional partners as instability linked to the Iran conflict affects international energy supplies and shipping routes.

In Tokyo, Wong is scheduled to meet Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi for discussions on fuel security, regional stability and the Middle East conflict.

In Beijing, she will hold the eighth Australia-China Foreign and Strategic Dialogue with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, describing the talks as an opportunity to advance shared interests while managing strategic differences between Canberra and Beijing.

In Seoul, Wong will meet South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, noting that South Korea remains one of Australia’s most important suppliers of refined fuels.Australia imports the majority of its fuel requirements and has faced localized shortages since the Middle East conflict began in February, exposing vulnerabilities in supply chains and raising concerns over long-term energy resilience.

“These meetings will help ensure we are coordinating effectively,” Wong said in a statement, pointing to volatility in oil and gas markets caused by the conflict and disruptions to major shipping corridors.

The diplomatic push reflects Canberra’s effort to secure stable energy flows while balancing strategic relations across Asia, particularly with China, its largest trading partner, and close security partners Japan and South Korea.

Energy security has become a growing concern for Australia as tensions around the Strait of Hormuz and broader regional instability continue to affect fuel prices and shipping reliability across the Indo-Pacific.

The visit also comes as Australia seeks to strengthen regional cooperation on both economic security and broader geopolitical challenges linked to the Middle East war.

The Japanese destroyer sailed through the strait from early morning to late afternoon, according to a statement by a Chinese military spokesperson, who said naval and air forces were deployed to observe the vessel throughout its passage.

Japan’s Self-Defense Forces declined to comment on the transit. The passage comes against the backdrop of heightened regional tensions over Taiwan, which claims as its territory despite opposition from ’s government.

Beijing considers the Taiwan issue a core national interest and frequently characterizes it as a “red line” in diplomatic relations. It also asserts sovereignty over the strait, a key international shipping route, and has responded strongly to foreign naval movements in the area.

China’s foreign ministry spokesperson said at a press briefing that the transit represented a “display of force” and accused Japan of compounding earlier tensions with what he described as “mistakes upon mistakes.” He added that China had lodged formal diplomatic protests with Tokyo.

Relations between the two countries have deteriorated in recent months, particularly after remarks by Japanese Prime Minister suggesting that a potential Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger a Japanese military response.

China’s military had previously tracked a foreign naval transit through the strait in February, when an Australian warship sailed the same route, according to state-backed media reports. The latest incident underscores persistent friction over freedom of navigation and sovereignty claims in one of Asia’s most strategically sensitive waterways.

The Philippines becomes the 13th member of Pax Silica, a programme designed to safeguard the full spectrum of the technology supply chain, including critical minerals, advanced manufacturing, computing and data infrastructure.

The initiative forms part of the Trump administration’s broader economic strategy to reduce reliance on rival nations and deepen coordination among allied partners. Other participating countries include Australia, Finland, India, Qatar, South Korea and Singapore.

The planned industrial hub will be located within the Luzon Economic Corridor, a key economic zone encompassing Manila and surrounding regions with established manufacturing capacity. The Philippines, Japan and the United States have also committed to increasing infrastructure investment in the corridor under a trilateral framework agreement.

“It is intended to serve as a staging point for a purpose-built platform for allied manufacturing,” the State Department said, adding that both countries aim to reinforce supply chains across semiconductors, electronics and other critical sectors.

The project underscores strengthening ties between Manila and Washington under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who has moved to deepen cooperation with the United States.

The Philippines, a former U.S. colony, has also taken on strategic importance in Washington’s efforts to counter China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea.

Government spokesman Minoru Kihara said the Japanese embassy in Iran had verified the release and that Japan’s ambassador had met the individual in person after their detention ended.

“The Japanese embassy in Iran has confirmed that a Japanese national who was detained by Iranian authorities on January 20 was released on April 6 local time,” Kihara told reporters, adding the individual’s health condition had been confirmed as stable.

Japan’s NHK was reported by Kyodo News to have identified the detainee as its Tehran bureau chief, although the broadcaster did not immediately confirm the report when contacted.Media reports earlier said the individual had been transferred to a prison known for holding political detainees following their arrest in January.

Japanese officials had previously acknowledged the detention but declined to provide further details at the time.

The release marks the second such case in recent weeks, after Tokyo announced last month that another Japanese national had been freed by Iranian authorities.