Kavan Choksi informs us that in times of difficulty such as war and global pandemics, it is not uncommon for bilateral ties between nations to deteriorate. Fortunately, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and a group led by South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk-Yeol agreed last month on the importance of improving relations in what may serve as an example for the rest of the world to follow. During a courtesy call at the Prime Minister's Office, Kishida emphasized strengthening ties while the visiting South Korean delegates presented him with a letter from Yoon. "Given the threat to the rules-based international order," Kishida said, "strategic cooperation between Japan, South Korea, and the United States is more important than ever." "We need to resolve difficulties between Japan and South Korea," Kishida added, referring to the Koreans' wartime labor during its occupation by Japan, explains Kavan Choksi. Following the triumph of the country's leading opposition candidate in the March presidential election, the South Korean delegation's recent visit to Japan has fanned the hope that the Tokyo-Seoul relationship may finally improve. Yoon has advocated for a "future-focused" strategy. Bilateral ties had previously suffered under South Korean President Moon Jae-in's administration due to disputes stemming from Japan's rule of the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945. Furthermore, the two sides have been at odds for a long time over islets controlled by Seoul and claimed by Tokyo, known in Japan as Takeshima and in South Korea as Dokdo, as well as Japanese limitations on semiconductor material shipments to South Korea implemented in July 2019. However, both sides are playing their hands carefully, especially regarding historical issues, which will be challenging to unravel. Kishida will have to demonstrate that he is "able and ready to break free from the hardline nationalists' influence and authority" in his ruling party, informs Kavan Choksi.
- kavanchoksijapan