Yoon Japan policy

Again and again, Japanese prime ministers have hesitated to go against the powerful conservative faction to offer a direct apology for Japan's colonial period.

For the first time in 12 years, the Japanese prime minister visited Seoul for a bilateral meeting with the South Korean president. 

From a potential Kishida apology to the limits of security cooperation, three important questions will define the future trajectory of the Japan-South Korea thaw.

On May 7, Japan’s prime minister will reciprocate President Yoon’s trip to Tokyo. Kishida will be the first Japanese leader to visit South Korea since 2018.

Between China and North Korea, the logic for increased Japan-South Korea cooperation is clear. All that was lacking was political will. 

Japan's Kishida and South Korea's Yoon are ready to mend relations, but both leaders face problems back home.

The long unresolved forced labor dispute nears closure, with South Korea deciding to shoulder victim compensation through donations. 

The Yoon administration's plan to resolve forced labor disputes with Japan is already sparking controversy at home.

In his address to celebrate the 104th anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement, Yoon Suk-yeol said Japan has transformed into a partner sharing common values.

Ties between the two U.S. Asian allies have long been complicated by grievances related to Japan's brutal rule of the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945.

The Yoon administration has expressed a strong willingness to improve bilateral ties with Japan, but Tokyo seems unwilling to budge on the central issues.