Japan Looks to Boost Trust with S. Korea’s President Lee, Who Has Called for ‘Pragmatic Diplomacy’

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:26 JST, June 10, 2025

Japan is eager to foster a trusting relationship with South Korea under its new President Lee Jae-myung, who advocates “pragmatic diplomacy” — prioritizing practical benefits over ideology.

During their first phone call on Monday, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Lee, who is known for being critical of Japan, agreed to keep up momentum toward better Japan-South Korea relations. Ishiba hopes to hold an in-person meeting, according to government sources.

“We had an excellent phone conversation. Although difficult issues exist between Japan and our neighbor South Korea, I intend to communicate actively and energetically [with Lee] to develop a stable bilateral relationship,” Ishiba told reporters at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo after the phone call.

Lee, on his X account, praised Ishiba as a leader who believes in trying to build a genuine relationship of trust with South Korea.

Given the increasingly challenging strategic environment, the leaders recognized the need for cooperation between Japan and South Korea, and trilaterally with the United States. Concerns in this area include military collaboration between Russia and North Korea, and confrontation between the United States and China during President Donald Trump’s term.

The fact that Lee spoke with Ishiba before China suggests, to some extent, South Korea’s continued focus on its relationship with Japan. Japan is watching how Lee pursues his “pragmatic diplomacy,” viewing this approach as the reason he stopped his anti-Japanese remarks.

Former South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who like Lee was a left-leaning leader, emphasized on ideology and principles.

During his inaugural phone call with then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, which he held after his call with China, Moon expressed that he could not accept the agreement on former comfort women that was previously made with Japan. He subsequently nullified the agreement, causing Japan-South Korea relations to severely deteriorate.

In contrast, Lee expressed his eagerness on Monday for cooperation based on the national interests of both countries. He showed that he intends to separate historical issues from economic and security matters.

At a press conference shortly after his inauguration on June 4, he also hinted that he would stick to his predecessors’ solution to a lawsuit filed by former wartime requisitioned workers from the Korean Peninsula.

However, Japan is still deeply concerned about whether Lee can address potential friction between the two countries while maintaining the support of his base. Tokyo is looking to stabilize relations by building trust through frequent summit meetings.