Japan-South Korea relations

Why the court got it wrong on international law

How the Moon administration is seeking to navigate its most pressing challenges, from North Korea to the U.S.-China cold war.

The Japanese government rejected a court ruling on compensation for South Korean women forced into sexual slavery during World War II. 

Past history gives a blueprint the incoming administration can use to push for better relations between two important East Asian allies.

The ruling recalls the 2018 judgment on forced labor that sparked a trade war between Japan and South Korea.

Recent diplomatic activity on the Korean side will only go so far in rebuilding relations.

The Biden administration must avoid the fundamental flaw of previous reparations arrangements: prioritizing state interests over victims’ concerns.

Tokyo’s pressure over the statue faced a set-back in Germany as the issue continues to loom large in Japan-South Korea interactions.

If the FOIP strategy is to succeed, the two countries have some work to do.

As a byproduct of the mega-deal, Seoul and Tokyo are now bound by their first ever shared free trade agreement.

A spate of recent exchanges could be seen as an accomplishment in and of itself, but there has been little concrete progress toward a solution on the forced labor issue.