Lee became president last year after the impeachment of his conservative successor Yoon Suk Yeol, who tried to shut down the legislature and seize emergency powers in a six-hour coup. Lee was elected on a promise to rebalance South Korea’s foreign policy by engaging with China and to attempt to restart dialogue with North Korea.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said the country’s relations with Japan are as important as those with China, seeking to balance his country’s foreign interests at a time when Beijing is courting Seoul while turning up pressure on Tokyo over a lingering diplomatic dispute.