Barely two months into office, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung faces a pivotal foreign policy test, heading into back-to-back summits in Tokyo and Washington that reflect the wider struggle of U.

On his first official visit to Japan since taking office in June, Lee met Ishiba at the premier's residence in Tokyo to discuss bilateral ties between the East Asia neighbours, including closer security coordination with the United States under a trilateral pact signed by their predecessors.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung met in Tokyo on Saturday and vowed to expand bilateral ties. The two leaders discussed bilateral ties including trade and security situation in the region and agreed to develop ties steadily building on foundation from 1965, Kyodo News reported.