SEOUL, South Korea — During the South Korean election campaign this year, Lee Jae Myung said he would crawl between President Donald Trump’s legs, if necessary, to protect his country’s national interests. But he also said, “I am not a pushover, either.”

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is set to embark on his first overseas trip focusing on bilateral diplomacy this weekend starting with a rare Japan visit that will likely set the stage for his first meeting with President Donald Trump in the US days later.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, in his first summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Saturday, stressed the importance of setting aside their past differences as they face common challenges from the United States,