Relations between Tokyo and Seoul were marked by the 35-year Japanese occupation of the Korean Peninsula, which ended only with the end of World War II. But last year’s election of conservative South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol, who decided to resolve forced labor disputes during the occupation, opened the door to rapprochement between the two countries, welcomed by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Bonds that US President Joe Biden, with his eyes on the threat from China and North Korea, wants to help cement by hosting Yoon and Kishida this Friday for an unprecedented three-way meeting at Camp David (the presidential retreat in Maryland).
Biden marks “a new era in trilateral cooperation,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said after meeting with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts in preparation for the meeting. The idea is to promote a common vision of “a free and open, resilient, secure and connected Indo-Pacific”. All this against the backdrop of rising tensions with North Korea, which has multiplied its missile tests and is planning another nuclear test, and the threat posed by China and possible action against Taiwan – which has become more visible after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Japan and South Korea are the two main US allies in Asia, but tension between the two has so far prevented any strengthening of defense or economic cooperation between the three. This week, marking the anniversary of South Korea’s independence from Japan, Yoon – who in May became the first South Korean head of state to visit Tokyo in 12 years – described the “land of the rising sun” as partnering with values and shared interests with Seoul.
Washington, aware that the progress made in recent months is mainly due to the availability of Yoon and Kishida (both not very popular in their countries), wants to strengthen ties and make any withdrawal in relations between Seoul and Tokyo more difficult. For example, one idea is to make this meeting a triennial meeting, like the joint military exercises that take place sporadically, and to improve the exchange of information on North Korean missile tests.
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Source: DN
