Japan, South Korea mark 60 years of ties

TOKYO, June 23 ------ Japan and South Korea are marking the 60th anniversary of the normalization of their diplomatic relations. The two Asian powers, rivals and neighbors, have often had little to celebrate, much of their rancor linked to Japan's brutal colonial rule of Korea in the early 20th century. Things have gotten better in recent years, but both nations each a strong ally of the United States now face political uncertainty and a growing unease about the future of their ties.

South Korea's new liberal president, Lee Jae Myung, is determined to break sharply from the policies of his disgraced predecessor, Yoon Suk Yeol, who now faces a trial on charges of leading an insurrection over his imposition of martial law in December. Relations with Japan, however, are one area where Lee, who describes himself as a pragmatist in foreign policy, may find himself cautiously building on Yoon's approach. Before his removal from office in April, the conservative former president tried to repair relations with Japan. Yoon wanted to also tighten the countries' three-way security cooperation with Washington to counter North Korean nuclear threats.

Some experts say the stability of the countries' improved ties could soon be tested, possibly around the Aug. 15 anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule at the end of World War II, when Lee is expected to publicly address the nation's painful history with Japan. While wartime history will always linger in the background of Seoul-Tokyo relations, Lee and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba may face a more immediate concern: US President Donald Trump's rising tariffs and other America-first trade policies. While advocating for pragmatism and problem-solving in foreign policy, Lee has also long criticized Japan for allegedly clinging to its imperialist past and blamed that for hurting cooperation between the countries.

Ishiba, eager to improve ties with Seoul, has acknowledged Japan's wartime aggression and has shown more empathy to Asian victims than his recent predecessors. His first encounter with Lee seemed positive, despite worries in Japan about South Korea's stance under a liberal leader known for attacks on Japan's wartime past.

Lee, in that meeting with Ishiba at the G7, likened the two countries to "neighbors sharing the same front yard" and called for building a future-oriented relationship that moves beyond their "small differences and disagreements." Ishiba and Lee agreed to closely communicate and to cooperate on a range of issues, including North Korea's nuclear and missile development. Cooperation between the two sides is "more essential than ever" to overcome their shared problems such as worsening regional security and Trump's tariffs that have shaken free trade systems, Japan's largest-circulation newspaper Yomiuri said in a recent editorial.

Source: manilatimes.net