Recently, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol met Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo – the first such meeting in 12 years. During this summit, both the countries agreed to resume regular visits between their leaders and take steps to resolve a trade dispute.
What are the issues between Japan and South Korea?
- Colonisation of Korean Peninsula by Japan —
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- Japan effectively colonised the Korean Peninsula between 1910 and 1945, in a regime that imposed Japanese names and language on Koreans.
- During this period, Japan conscripted many into forced labor or forced prostitution in military brothels.
- Japan paid $800 million in reparations to South Korea’s military-run government in 1965, but this money was never distributed to victims.
- Recently, Seoul has offered Tokyo concessions on South Korean demands for compensation over wartime forced labor.
- However, it remains to be seen whether the South Korean public will accept reconciliation.
- Longstanding territorial dispute —
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- The two sides also have a longstanding territorial dispute over a group of islands controlled by South Korea and claimed by Japan.
- Regular visits between top leaders of both the countries were ended in 2012 after South Korean President Lee Myung-bak visited the disputed islands.
- Escalation of tensions in recent years —
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- Tensions escalated in the past 10 years as conservative Japanese governments moved to rearm the country while stepping up attempts to whitewash Japan’s wartime atrocities.
- In 2018 South Korea’s Supreme Court ordered Japan’s Nippon Steel and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to compensate forced labour victims.
- In 2019, Japan placed export controls on chemicals used to make semiconductors and displays used in smartphones and other high-tech devices.
Significance of this summit –
- Shared security concerns in the region —
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- Improved ties between South Korea and Japan could pave the way for the two U.S. allies to cooperate more closely on shared security concerns related to China and North Korea.
- Japan increasingly bolstered defence ties with the U.K., Australia, India and the Philippines.
- Hence, an improved relation between Japan and South Korea will further increase the security in the region.
- For South Korea —
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- South Korea is putting efforts to strengthen alliances to counter North Korea.
- North Korea has been expanding nuclear-capable missiles and issuing threats of pre-emptive nuclear strikes.
- For South Korea, stronger economic cooperation with Tokyo has become more crucial in the face of industrial supply chain disruptions and other global challenges.
- For India —
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- Improved ties between Japan and South Korea could potentially benefit India in various ways, especially in terms of economic and strategic relations.
- Japan and South Korea are two of India’s largest trading partners in Asia.
- Both Japan and South Korea have significant technological expertise, and India has been trying to develop its technology sector as part of its “Make in India” campaign.
- From a strategic standpoint, Japan and South Korea are important partners for India in the Asia-Pacific region.
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