Japan, South Korea Have Chance to Be True Neighbors, as Lee Expresses Wish for Closer Ties

By Taro Takihana / Yomiuri Shimbun Managing Editor

6:00 JST, August 22, 2025

There is a sincere wish to see Japan and South Korea develop their relations in a dramatic way. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung expressed a strong desire for better relations during an exclusive interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun, ahead of a visit to Japan on Saturday and Sunday, which will be his first trip to the country as president.

It has been 80 years since the end of World War II, and 60 years since the normalization of diplomatic ties between the two countries. In that time, Japan and South Korea have vacillated between cooperation and confrontation.

“Previous South Korean presidents were also representatives of the nation chosen by the people. I cannot overturn the policies they agreed upon or that have already been implemented. There is also the matter of national trust,” Lee said.

His words will likely hold significant meaning in the history of the two nations. They could serve as an opportunity for maintaining good relations between the neighboring countries, regardless of whether the South Korean government is conservative or left leaning.

From 2017 to 2022, Japan-South Korea relations deteriorated significantly under the administration of Moon Jae-in, who like Lee was on the left. However, the relationship rebounded during the next administration led by Yoon Suk Yeol, a conservative who did not fixate on historical issues. Measures that Yoon worked out to resolve issues related to former wartime requisitioned workers were accepted by many of the parties concerned.

In the interview, Lee indicated he would uphold agreements on this issue. “Consistency and reliability in policies must be maintained,” he said. Lee expressed a similar approach to agreements on the issue of so-called comfort women. In 2015, Japan and South Korea confirmed that the issue had been resolved “finally and irreversibly.”

However, Lee seems to have agonized in deciding on these issues. “These are certainly heart-wrenching issues for South Koreans,” he said. He no doubt had to consider the sentiments of the people. This will help ensure that he is consistent in his words and deeds.

North Korea is advancing its nuclear and missile development and sending troops to Russia to aid Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Under the tense security environment in East Asia, it is natural for Japan, the United States and South Korea to maintain close relations, but this must be underpinned by stable cooperation between Japan and South Korea.

In a recent joint survey by The Yomiuri Shimbun and South Korean newspaper Hankook Ilbo, more than 50% of Japanese and South Korea respondents said the current state of bilateral relations was “good.”

In the interview, Lee referred to the Japan-South Korea Joint Declaration issued by the administrations of Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi and South Korean leader Kim Dae Jung in 1998, and expressed his eagerness to work out a new joint statement. It is time for such a statement.

Now Japan should offer a robust response to Lee and build new bilateral relations.