Japan and South Korea mark 60 years of ties despite lingering tension and political uncertainty

TOKYO -- TOKYO (AP) — Japan and South Korea are marking the 60th day of the normalization of their diplomatic relations Sunday. The 2 Asian powers, rivals and neighbors, person often had small to celebrate, overmuch of their rancor linked to Japan’s brutal assemblage regularisation of Korea successful the aboriginal 20th century.

Things person gotten amended successful caller years, but some nations — each a beardown state of the United States — present look governmental uncertainty and a increasing unease astir the aboriginal of their ties.

Here’s a look astatine 1 of Northeast Asia’s astir important relationships, from some capitals, by 2 correspondents from The Associated Press.

South Korea’s caller wide president, Lee Jae Myung, is determined to interruption sharply from the policies of his disgraced predecessor, Yoon Suk Yeol, who present faces a proceedings connected charges of starring an insurrection implicit his imposition of martial instrumentality successful December.

Relations with Japan, however, are 1 country wherever Lee, who describes himself arsenic a pragmatist successful overseas policy, whitethorn find himself cautiously gathering connected Yoon’s approach.

Before his removal from bureau successful April, the blimpish erstwhile president tried to repair relations with Japan. Yoon wanted to besides tighten the countries’ three-way information practice with Washington to antagonistic North Korean atomic threats.

In 2023, Yoon announced a South Korea-funded compensation plan for colonial-era forced laborers. That determination caused a beardown backlash from victims and their supporters, who had demanded nonstop payments from Japanese companies and a caller apology from Tokyo.

Yoon’s outreach boosted tourism and concern ties, but there’s inactive lingering resentment successful South Korea that Japan failed to reciprocate Seoul’s diplomatic concession by addressing humanities grievances much sincerely.

While advocating for pragmatism and problem-solving successful overseas policy, Lee has besides agelong criticized Japan for allegedly clinging to its imperialist past and blamed that for hurting practice betwixt the countries.

Some experts accidental the stableness of the countries’ improved ties could soon beryllium tested, perchance astir the Aug. 15 day of Korea’s liberation from Japanese assemblage regularisation astatine the extremity of World War II, erstwhile Lee is expected to publically code the nation’s achy past with Japan.

Some successful Seoul privation Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to people the day with a stronger connection of remorse implicit Japan’s wartime past to enactment bilateral ties connected firmer ground.

While wartime past volition ever linger successful the inheritance of Seoul-Tokyo relations, Lee and Ishiba whitethorn look a much contiguous concern: U.S. President Donald Trump’s rising tariffs and different America-first commercialized policies.

South Korea’s Hankyoreh paper successful an editorial this week called for South Korea and Japan to “collaborate immediately” connected a associated effect to Trump’s policies, arguing that the projected U.S. tariffs connected automobiles airs akin threats to some countries’ trade-dependent economies.

Ishiba, anxious to amended ties with Seoul, has acknowledged Japan’s wartime aggression and has shown much empathy to Asian victims than his caller predecessors.

His archetypal brushwood with Lee seemed positive, contempt worries successful Japan astir South Korea’s stance nether a wide person known for attacks connected Japan’s wartime past.

Lee, successful that gathering with Ishiba astatine the G7, likened the 2 countries to “neighbors sharing the aforesaid beforehand yard” and called for gathering a future-oriented narration that moves beyond their “small differences and disagreements.”

Ishiba and Lee agreed to intimately pass and to cooperate connected a scope of issues, including North Korea’s atomic and rocket development.

Under a 1965 normalization treaty, Japan provided $500 cardinal successful economical assistance to South Korea, saying each wartime compensation issues were settled.

However, humanities issues including forced labour and intersexual maltreatment of Korean women during the warfare person disrupted ties implicit the decades, portion South Korea has go an Asian powerfulness and a rival to Japan, and portion Tokyo, particularly during the precocious Prime Minister Shinzo Abe 's rule, has promoted revisionist views.

Japan has since offered atonement money doubly for the alleged “comfort women,” an earlier semi-private money and a 2nd 1 unilaterally dissolved by erstwhile South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s wide government.

Things person improved successful caller years, and Japan is watching to spot whether Lee sticks with his blimpish predecessor’s much conciliatory diplomacy oregon returns to the confrontation that marked erstwhile wide governments.

Cooperation betwixt the 2 sides is “more indispensable than ever” to flooded their shared problems specified arsenic worsening determination information and Trump’s tariffs that person shaken escaped commercialized systems, Japan’s largest-circulation paper Yomiuri said successful a caller editorial.

At a 60th day reception successful Tokyo, Ishiba said that helium sees “a agleam future” successful the relationship. He expressed anticipation besides for practice successful “common challenges” specified arsenic debased commencement rates and declining populations.

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Kim reported from Seoul, South Korea.