The Council on East Asian Studies presents Michelle Ye Hee Lee, Tokyo/Seoul Bureau Chief, The Washington Post:
“Japan & South Korea Relations.”
The yearslong stalemate between Japan-South Korea has been thawing in the past year, with the leaders of both countries working toward rapprochement and greater trilateral cooperation with the United States. Chinese ambitions, North Korean threats and the Russian war have rallied the three allies toward greater cooperation, leading to a historic leader-level summit at Camp David in August 2023. The U.S., Japanese and South Korean officials are now working to create enduring structures that they hope would endure shifting political dynamics in the three countries. But challenges remain, including domestic political tensions, that threaten the fragile progress made this year. A look at the evolution in Japan-South Korea relations this year and the challenges that lie ahead.