Maria Siow

My Take | Japan’s PM Ishiba set to focus on security ties with South Korea to counter Pyongyang

Shigeru Ishiba’s ‘progressive’ views on thorny historical issues have raised hopes that ties between Japan and South Korea could improve

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (middle) oversees a launch of a ballistic missile at an undisclosed place in North Korea. The threat from North Korea is expected to be a key focus in Shigeru Ishiba’s engagement with Yoon Suk-yeol. Photo: AP

Maria Siow

Published: 10:30am, 11 Oct 2024

Ties between Japan and South Korea are set to remain Tokyo’s key foreign policy focus under Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, with observers wondering whether he can maintain the success of his predecessor Fumio Kishida in this area.

Ishiba’s views on South Korea have been described by analysts in Seoul as “progressive” including on historical issues that have strained the bilateral relationship for decades.

During the Moon Jae-in administration, relations between the two countries languished partly because of Japanese colonial-era issues, including the breakdown in talks over a bilateral agreement on Korean ‘comfort women’ and a South Korean court ruling in 2018 ordering Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to compensate Seoul for the use of forced Korean labourers.

Despite these setbacks, Tokyo and Seoul worked towards improving relations, with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol meeting Kishida 12 times to discuss a range of issues.

(From left) South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-yeol, US President Joe Biden and Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at Camp David in August 2023. Photo: AP

Yoon and Kishida also met United States President Joe Biden to deepen the security partnership between the two Asian neighbours and the US. During their summit at Camp David last year, the three leaders issued a joint commitment to consult one another on security threats.