[Lee Byung-jong] Time for stronger Seoul-Tokyo ties

For a lot of younger South Korean vacationers, Japan is little question their favourite journey vacation spot. It is shut, low-cost and acquainted. They’ll take pleasure in purchasing or take pleasure in tonkatsu (fried pork chops) or ramen. But till not too long ago, they didn’t publicize or brag about their journeys to Japan on social media. A powerful anti-Japan sentiment brought on by diplomatic rows between Seoul and Tokyo stored them from doing so. However all that has modified since their leaders started to fix bilateral relations early final yr. Younger Koreans don’t have to cover their travels in Japan now that the 2 neighboring nations have grow to be nearer once more.

Behind such modifications are Seoul’s preliminary makes an attempt at rapprochement. Since taking workplace two years in the past, President Yoon Suk-yeol made normalized Seoul-Tokyo relations a international coverage precedence. By providing concessions on the deadlocked problems with previous colonial historical past, he first supplied an olive department. Yoon visited Tokyo for the primary Korea-Japan summit in a decade after which Prime Minister Fumio Kishida quickly reciprocated. Since then, Yoon and Kishida have met 12 occasions as a part of their “shuttle diplomacy,” the best variety of summit conferences for each leaders. No less than when it comes to summit diplomacy, the 2 nations are at present having fun with a “renaissance.”

That momentum might be furthered by the arrival of Japan’s new prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba. Referred to as a average conservative, he’s extra humble and apologetic than his predecessors in terms of points associated to Japan’s colonial atrocities. He has usually cited Japan’s accountability for strained relations between Seoul and Tokyo. In that vein, Ishiba has avoided visiting the Yasukuni Shrine, the memorial web site for Japanese war-dead that has been frequented by many Japanese politicians regardless of opposition from Koreans and different victims of Japanese imperialism.

Ishiba’s premiership is seen positively by many Koreans additionally as a result of he is generally in opposition to the Japanese far-right motion that was pushed by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. As Abe’s bitter rival, Ishiba objected to the late chief’s need to vary Japan’s Structure to extend the nation’s navy presence on the earth. Relatively, Ishiba proposes to create an Asian model of the North Atlantic Treaty Group as a collective safety mechanism within the area. A former protection minister and safety knowledgeable, he believes Asia might be swept in a significant geopolitical upheaval as China, Russia and North Korea be part of palms as a rising risk within the area.

Ishiba’s geopolitical considerations are prone to strengthen Seoul-Tokyo cooperation as a necessary a part of the trilateral navy partnership involving Washington. Going through frequent adversaries on the continent, the three nations have elevated their safety cooperation by sharing extra info and conducting joint navy drills. The spotlight of that partnership was the Camp David Summit in August final yr, the place President Biden hosted the 2 Asian leaders as a part of his grand Indo-Pacific technique of countering an more and more assertive China.

Seoul and Tokyo have to lock within the three-way partnership as a result of uncertainties surrounding the US presidential election subsequent month. If former President Donald Trump wins the election, the partnership might be critically examined, given Trump’s unpredictability. In reality, the current enchancment in Seoul-Tokyo relations is partly attributed to President Biden’s robust push to carry the 2 key Asian allies of the US collectively.

For Seoul, there are different the explanation why it wants nearer ties with Tokyo. Whether or not Koreans prefer it or not, Japan is a significant participant within the worldwide neighborhood that may both assist or harm Korea’s international coverage targets. For President Yoon specifically, his ambition of constructing Korea a “world pivotal state” by way of extra participation in world affairs hinges on the cooperation of many highly effective nations, together with Japan. For instance, Korea can obtain its dream of turning into a member of the Group of 9, changing the present Group of seven, with the assistance of Japan. As the one Asian member of the G7, Japan is considered unfavorable to the growth of the wealthy nations’ membership that would embody Korea and Australia.

Regardless of the current thaw throughout the East Sea, the long run shouldn’t be sure. Whereas the Japanese authorities is anticipated to proceed the present path in the meanwhile underneath Ishiba, the Korean authorities may change its course in the long term. If the present ruling celebration of President Yoon had been to lose within the 2027 presidential election, every thing might return to sq. one. The opposition Democratic Celebration is very crucial of Yoon’s detente towards Japan, calling it “a diplomacy of capitulation.” There’s a probability {that a} new Seoul administration would scrap its pacts with Tokyo, as did Yoon’s predecessor, President Moon Jae-in. Moon canceled his personal predecessor’s offers and guarantees with Japan, plunging bilateral relations to the bottom level since 1965 when the 2 nations normalized diplomatic ties.

For that purpose, it’s now Japan’s flip to indicate some sincerity in its efforts to fix fences. Critics imagine Japan has not likely reciprocated Yoon’s peace initiatives, aside from agreeing on summit conferences and undoing the retaliatory measures it took throughout that low-point in relations. Kishida didn’t absolutely apologize for the colonial previous, apart from saying that he inherits his predecessors’ positions. A extra honest and express atonement by the brand new Ishiba authorities might carry bilateral relations to a brand new excessive forward of subsequent yr’s sixtieth anniversary of diplomatic relations.

By Lee Byung-jong

Lee Byung-jong is a former Seoul correspondent for Newsweek, The Related Press and Bloomberg Information. He’s a professor on the College of World Service at Sookmyung Ladies’s College in Seoul. The views expressed listed below are the author’s personal. — Ed.