Students wearing masks of, from left, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, and Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, perform during a rally to oppose Japanese government’s plan to release treated radioactive water into the sea from the Fukushima nuclear power plant, in Seoul, South Korea, … Read more
Advertisement With Japan-South Korea relations improving rapidly for the past several months, there are growing calls for an early adoption of a new Japan–South Korea Joint Declaration to update one issued a quarter of a century ago. However, Japan’s Prime Minister Kishida Fumio still takes a cautious stance on it. Representing Kishida, the prime minister’s … Read more
Tokyo Report | Economy | East Asia Japan’s tightening of trade controls against Seoul in 2019 was widely seen as retaliation for a South Korean court ruling on World War II-era forced labor. Advertisement Japan announced a decision Tuesday to reinstate South Korea as a preferred nation with fast-track trade status starting July 21, virtually ending a four-year economic … Read more
Advertisement The relationship between South Korea and Japan is of significant importance and closely observed due to their geographical proximity and historical connections. Moreover, in recent times, the need for both countries to establish a strategic relationship has become an urgent task to address threats endangering the stability of the Indo-Pacific region, such as Russia’s … Read more
Advertisement The third meeting in two months between Japan’s Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-yeol, this time on the sidelines of the Hiroshima G-7 summit on May 21, marked a milestone in the relationship between the two Northeast Asian neighbors. The two nations have long been at loggerheads over Japan’s colonial … Read more
Tokyo Report | Diplomacy | East Asia As Japan prepares to release treated water from the tsunami-crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, it battles harsh criticism from South Korea. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol (left) shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G-7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan, May 21, 2023. … Read more
Advertisement During his recent visit to South Korea, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio showed sympathy for the painful past of the Korean people but did not dare to elaborate on what and who inflicted that pain upon them – Japan’s colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945. At a joint press conference … Read more
Advertisement On May 7, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol met for the second time this year. After 12 years of stalled talks due to historical disputes, Kishida’s visit to Seoul signaled a return to shuttle diplomacy. The signs were clear. Kishida expressed remorse toward Korean victims of Japanese wartime … Read more
Advertisement Located on the west side of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, a 4.5 meter stone tower stands on a large turtle-shaped base. The turtle faces the direction of the Korean Peninsula; as Korean legend goes, the spirits of the dead ascend to heaven on the back of a turtle. At the top of the tower, … Read more
Advertisement South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol held a summit meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio in Seoul on Sunday. It was the first time that a Japanese prime minster had come to Seoul for a bilateral summit meeting since 2011. In March, Yoon visited Tokyo as a follow-up step to his foreign minister’s announcement on resolving the … Read more