Facing new challenges, Japan - Korea tighten ties

Seoul [South Korea], May 8: During his visit to Korea, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made an important move to tighten the bilateral relationship, which has faced many barriers over the years but is facing common challenges.
Yesterday (May 7), Prime Minister Kishida arrived in Seoul, starting an official visit to South Korea for 2 days. Kishida became the first Japanese prime minister to visit South Korea in 12 years.
Kishida's Sincerity
Right on May 7, Prime Minister Kishida held talks with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Speaking to the press at a press conference after the talks, Prime Minister Kishida did not make an official apology for the wrongs that Japan had committed during the occupation of the Korean peninsula from 1910 to 1945. , Prime Minister Kishida affirmed that his government inherited the position of previous administrations, having issued an apology.
"For me personally, my heart aches at the thought of so many people who have suffered," he said, referring to the issue, without elaborating.
A senior official in the South Korean government revealed that Prime Minister Kishida's remarks were not part of an earlier agreement with Seoul, so President Yoon thanked Mr. so". President Yoon said it would be "very useful for future cooperation".
For a long time, the historical issue mentioned above has become a deep disagreement, hindering Japan-Korea relations for many years. In 2019, after Seoul took a tough action on the issue, Tokyo issued an order to restrict exports to South Korea for three important materials for the production of semiconductor components and displays. The restriction was only lifted in March when President Yoon visited Japan. It was also the first visit by a South Korean president to Japan in 12 years.
Recently, President Yoon has made moves to warm up relations with Japan while getting tough with North Korea, almost reversing the policy of his predecessor Moon Jae In. However, it also provoked criticism that President Yoon's administration was too lenient in front of Japan.
Therefore, this visit of Prime Minister Kishida is seen as a response to President Yoon's recent visit to Japan. This reciprocity, along with Mr. Kishida's sincere move, could help Mr. Yoon strengthen his domestic credibility to maintain the current foreign policy strategy. During this visit, Prime Minister Kishida also invited President Yoon to attend the G7 summit in May in Japan, and called for three-way talks between the US, Japan and Korea.
Opportunity for both sides
Speaking to the press, President Yoon said that the unresolved historical issues between the two sides do not mean that the two sides cannot take further steps to deepen the relationship, in the face of crises. international crisis is growing. The Korean president affirmed that he wants relations with Japan to be better than ever.
"Cooperation and coordination between Korea and Japan is essential not only for the mutual benefit of the two countries but also for world peace and prosperity in the face of the current serious international situation." , Reuters quoted President Yoon speaking during talks with Prime Minister Kishida.
In addition, a Japanese Foreign Ministry official said the two countries "have a lot of opportunities for cooperation when it comes to addressing the threat posed by North Korea" and ensuring a free Indo-Pacific region. and wide open.
Security challenges foster cooperation
On the same day, May 7, responding to ThanhNien, Prof. Stephen Robert Nagy (International Christian University - Japan, scholar at the Institute of International Affairs of Japan) explained that the leaders of Japan and Korea are promoting promote bilateral relations.
First of all, both leaders are trying to re-establish their bilateral relationship after the ups and downs under South Korean President Moon Jae In. Moon's policies have created barriers to bilateral and tripartite cooperation on North Korea, China, trade, semiconductors and the "quad" (including the US - Japan - Australia). - India)", Professor Nagy commented.
Second, according to the expert, both leaders are concerned about Pyongyang's development of missiles and tactical nuclear weapons. Therefore, Tokyo wants to work with Seoul to promote the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and strengthen trilateral cooperation with Washington.
Third, both leaders recognized the long-term challenge facing the region as possible status-change actions, after a precedent was established by Russia's military campaign against Ukraine. . Prime Minister Kishida has repeatedly said: "Ukraine today can be East Asia tomorrow".
Also answering ThanhNien on May 7, Dr. Satoru Nagao (Hudson Research Institute, USA) said that President Yoon has changed foreign policy compared to his predecessor, his administration has also expressed a stance on the strait. Taiwan and opposes any unilateral action to change the status quo of the strait by force.
According to Dr. Nagao, President Yoon's policy stems from the regional security situation. Since launching a military campaign against Ukraine that should be punished by the West, Russia is more dependent on China and North Korea. North Korea is said to have supplied weapons to Russia in return for technological assistance to develop missiles. With the support of Moscow and Beijing, Pyongyang has repeatedly tested missiles but has not been imposed by UN sanctions.
Faced with such a situation, according to Dr. Nagao, a new security scenario was mentioned. That is, if Pyongyang launches a military campaign against Seoul, Beijing attacks Taiwan. Therefore, without the cooperation of the US - Japan - Korea, it will not be easy to deter the other parties.
Source: ThanhNien Newspaper