South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba shared the view that Korea and Japan, as neighbors and global cooperation partners with similar positions, must act together to address challenges’

Spokesman Kang Yu-jung added at a press conference after their meeting that the effort to resolve challenges facing the international community comes in the face of a turbulent geopolitical environment and trade order. Lee engaged with Japan on security and trade issues, continuing his predecessor’s policy of cautious rapprochement after years of tension over Japan’s wartime history.

Japan reached a framework agreement with U.S. President Donald Trump, who signed an executive order formalizing the deal to reduce tariffs on Japanese goods to 15 percent, including automobiles.

But many issues remain to be ironed out, such as Japan’s pledge to invest $550 billion in U.S. industry and the new measures Trump is threatening on imports of pharmaceuticals and semiconductors worldwide.

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