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.

To South Koreans weary of the political polarization that led briefly to martial law, President Lee Jae Myung is showing a more human touch than his predecessor. But his biggest challenges lie ahead.