President Lee Meets Sanae Takaichi in Andong, Says, "You Must Have Had a Hard Time Coming All the Way to This Small Rural City"

\r\n
[Financial News] Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi arrived in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, on the 19th for the Korea-Japan Summit. President Lee Jae-myung personally welcomed her, extending treatment comparable to that given to a state guest. The gesture was seen as a return visit, after Prime Minister Takaichi had made a surprise visit to President Lee's accommodation during the Korea-Japan Summit held in Nara, Japan, in January this year. President Lee also wore a blue-toned tie, which Prime Minister Takaichi often favors, as a sign of respect.
President Lee stepped forward to greet her as the rear door of the black car carrying Prime Minister Takaichi opened.
President Lee told Prime Minister Takaichi, "You must have had a really hard time coming all the way to this small rural city." He also said, "I had been waiting since last night," expressing a sense of closeness.
President Lee and Prime Minister Takaichi will soon hold a small-group meeting and an expanded summit, followed by a joint press statement. The summit is expected to cover a broad range of issues related to the future of Korea-Japan relations. In particular, since both leaders recently held direct phone calls with U.S. President Donald Trump and discussed the outcome of the U.S.-China summit, related issues may also come up. They are also expected to address developments in the Middle East and the situation in the Indo-Pacific.
After the summit, President Lee and Prime Minister Takaichi are scheduled to have dinner featuring fusion Korean cuisine with local Andong touches, and then attend a traditional performance at Hahoe Folk Village.
Meanwhile, President Lee prepared gifts for Prime Minister Takaichi, including a wooden-framed Hahoetal carving, a Joseon Tongsinsa set, and a frame featuring Joseon white porcelain. The gift selection was designed to highlight the summit's theme of mutual hometown visits by the two leaders.
cjk@fnnews.com Choi Jong-geun, Seong Seok-woo Reporter