Takaichi meets Lee in Andong, agrees on oil stockpile cooperation

2026-05-19

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi visited Andong in southeastern South Korea on the 19th and met with President Lee Jae-myung. The two leaders agreed to build a cooperative framework, including joint stockpiling, over crude oil procurement strained by turmoil in the Middle East.

Part of shuttle diplomacy

The meeting was held as part of so-called "shuttle diplomacy," in which leaders travel to each other's countries. It was the first meeting between the two leaders since attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel began.

Discuss energy supply

Both Japan and South Korea lack domestic resources and depend on imports from the Middle East. Cooperation over energy supply was a key topic at the talks.

Enjoyed this article? Share it with your network!