Historical issues in Northeast Asia

South Korea’s diplomatic and security relations with Japan experienced a dramatic turnaround under Yoon. Tokyo fears that progress won't last under a new president.

South Korea's decision not to participate in what was envisioned an a moment of reconciliation highlighted the perceived lack of sincerity in Japan’s treatment of historical issues.

Before Kishida’s departure as prime minister, Yoon touted their efforts to restore stony relations between the two countries. The South Korean public is less enthused.

“The shared problem is that neither country sufficiently sought to convince its citizens of the importance of its neighbor.”

So far, South Korea's President Yoon has been more proactive in advancing the relationship – and more willing to tolerate political risks at home.

In comments to The Diplomat, Prime Minister Kishida refrained from predictions about a second joint declaration to update one issued a quarter of a century ago.

Establishing a strategic relationship has become an urgent task to address threats to the stability of the Indo-Pacific region, but significant obstacles remain.

Again and again, Japanese prime ministers have hesitated to go against the powerful conservative faction to offer a direct apology for Japan's colonial period.

Tokyo's economic aid to Seoul laid the foundations of a new development model – but it had a dark side as well.

For the first time in 12 years, the Japanese prime minister visited Seoul for a bilateral meeting with the South Korean president. 

Japan's Kishida and South Korea's Yoon are ready to mend relations, but both leaders face problems back home.

The Yoon administration's plan to resolve forced labor disputes with Japan is already sparking controversy at home.