Now, the region’s two most important allies for the US appear ready to turn a new page. In recent years the often fraught relations have undermined efforts by the United States to present a united front against North Korea – and the growing assertiveness of Beijing. The two normalized relations in 1965, but unresolved historical disputes have continued to fester, in particular over colonial Japan’s use of forced labor and so-called “comfort women” sex slaves. The two East Asian neighbors have a long history of acrimony, dating back to Japan’s colonial occupation of the Korean Peninsula a century ago. The two leaders are expected to share a dinner of sukiyaki and “omurice” or omelet rice in English, based on Yoon’s request that he likes those dishes, Japan’s public broadcaster NHK reported. Yoon’s office has hailed it “an important milestone” in the development of bilateral relations. The summit between Yoon and Kishida is a crucial step to mend frayed relations after decades of disputes and mistrust dogged the two crucial US allies in Asia. In 2019, South Korea scrapped its military intelligence-sharing agreement with Japan amid a long-running dispute over forced labor by Japan during its occupation of Korea, which plunged ties to their lowest point in decades. “I believe the two countries should be able to share information on North Korea’s nuclear missile launches and trajectories, and respond to them,” he said. The shared security challenges facing both nations were on stark display just hours before the trip when North Korea fired a long-range ballistic missile into the waters off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula – the fourth intercontinental ballistic missile launch in less than one year.ĭuring the joint statement on Thursday, Kishida said that Japan and South Korea had agreed to resume bilateral security talks in the face of North Korean nuclear and missile threats and had confirmed the importance of the “free and open Indo-Pacific” and working together to protect the international rules-based order.Īnd Yoon said he agreed to “completely normalize” its military intelligence-sharing agreement with Japan. Mutual visits by Japanese and South Korean leaders have been suspended for 12 years as ties soured over several issues, including a wartime labor dispute. “From now on, I would like to open a new chapter in Japan-South Korea relations through frequent visits by both sides that are not tied down by formality,” Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in Tokyo after meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. The leaders of South Korea and Japan promised to resume ties in a fence-mending summit – the first such meeting in 12 years – as the two neighbors seek to confront threats from North Korea and rising concerns about China.
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