Japan Set for New Prime Minister as Kishida Steps Aside
TimeAug 19
Japan, South Korea Agree to Bolster Bilateral Ties
Above: Yoon (L) and Kishida at the prime minister's official residence on March 16, 2023, in Tokyo, Japan. Image copyright: Kiyoshi Ota/Pool/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korea's Pres. Yoon Suk Yeol have announced plans to further improve bilateral relations. The news comes in advance of next year's 60th anniversary of normalized diplomatic ties between Tokyo and Seoul.
In a two-day summit held in Seoul on Friday, the two leaders emphasized the need to "work together in a future-oriented manner, with Yoon calling the six-decade milestone "a turning point."
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Japan-South Korea relations had been at their lowest since World War II before Kishida and Yoon rightly decided to thaw relations. Now that the Japanese leader is set to leave office, it's crucial to institutionalize bilateral cooperation to prevent this positive trend from being reversed at a time when this partnership is of vital importance to both nations, and the broader region.
Establishment-critical narrative
It's no coincidence that many Koreans are unhappy about this rapprochement. Seoul has granted Japan too many concessions to receive little to no benefit, and these improved relations are all but true friendship. Tokyo has used South Korea to advance America's anti-China agenda and to protect itself against China.