Seoul, Jan 9 (NationPress) President Lee Jae Myung of South Korea is set to embark on a two-day journey to Nara Prefecture in Japan early next week for a summit with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, as confirmed by Cheong Wa Dae on Friday.

Scheduled to depart for Japan on Tuesday, the summit will take place in Takaichi's hometown of Nara, according to reports from Yonhap News Agency.

The discussions between the two leaders are anticipated to cover a variety of regional and global matters, including economic, social, and cultural topics, as noted in a statement from Cheong Wa Dae.

Lee and Takaichi previously convened for summit talks on October 30 during an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Gyeongju and had a brief meeting during the Group of 20 leaders' summit in South Africa in November.

Next Wednesday, Lee will participate in a friendship event with Takaichi and engage with the ethnic Korean community in Japan before returning home that same day.

This visit marks Lee's second trip to Japan following his August visit to Tokyo, where he held talks with Takaichi's predecessor, Shigeru Ishiba.

The upcoming summit is expected to enhance the momentum of future-oriented bilateral relations through a practice known as 'shuttle diplomacy', which involves reciprocal visits between leaders, according to Cheong Wa Dae.

Lee has expressed his desire to advance relations with Japan in a forward-looking manner, while also acknowledging the historical wartime issues that arose during Korea's 1910-45 colonial rule by Japan.

This planned summit occurs amidst rising tensions between Tokyo and Beijing over recent comments made by the Japanese prime minister regarding Taiwan.

On Thursday, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held discussions with the policy chief of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), focusing on enhancing bilateral relations and addressing shared concerns, the foreign ministry reported.

During his meeting with Takayuki Kobayashi, chairperson of the LDP's Policy Research Council, Cho noted that the relationship between Seoul and Tokyo appears to be progressing positively, thanks to ongoing 'shuttle diplomacy'.

Cho expressed hope that Kobayashi would continue efforts to deepen ties between the two nations across various sectors.

Kobayashi acknowledged that shuttle diplomacy has facilitated a forward-thinking and stable development of bilateral relations, emphasizing the significance of ongoing collaboration and the trilateral alliance with the United States.

Kobayashi, a former economic security minister, has been the LDP policy chief since October of last year. The chair of the Policy Research Council oversees the party's policy-making processes and holds considerable influence within the LDP.