South Korean President arrives in Japan for 'fence-mending summit'

Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korean President, and his wife Kim Keon Hee have arrived in Tokyo for a "fence-mending summit," reported CNN. This would be the first such visit in a span of 12 years. The two nations have sought to counter the increasing threats from North Korea to rising concerns about China. Just before the visit, North Korea had fired a long-range ballistic missile into the waters off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula, as per multiple media reports.

It is to be noted that this would be the fourth intercontinental ballistic missile launch in less than a year. However, the high-level meeting between the two leaders, Yoon, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, would be a crucial step to mend frayed ties after decades of disputes and mistrust between two crucial US allies in Asia. This visit could be  “an important milestone” for South Korea-Japan relations, stated Yoon's office. 

South Korea - Japan Ties: will they overcome their disputes? 

This bilateral meeting between the two countries holds much significance as the 12 years gap in the relationship might come to an end through it. Recently, South Korea has taken a major step towards solving a long-running disagreement that led the bilateral relationship to its lowest point. Seoul has announced that it would compensate "victims of forced labor under Japan’s occupation from 1910 to 1945 through a public foundation funded by private Korean companies", reported CNN.  This move has been hailed by Japan. Further, the US president also welcomed the decision and said that this is "a groundbreaking new chapter of cooperation and partnership between two of the United States’ closest allies.”

With increased restrictions, tensions between Japan and South Korea also. This got followed by the restrictions imposed by Japan on exports of materials used in memory chips to South Korea. Later, South Korea scrapped its military intelligence-sharing agreement with Tokyo during the presidency of Moon Jae-In. However, under the Yoon administration, S. Korea has been trying to enhance its relations with Tokyo, "even if it means pushing back against domestic public pressure on contentious, highly emotional issues like the compensation plan."

“The administration is making the case to the South Korean public that this is not just about Japan, it is about engaging with a wider coalition of liberal democracies,” said Atkinson, an expert in Seoul. Further, he added, " What South Koreans perceive as Beijing’s bullying, arrogant treatment of their country, as well as its crushing of the Hong Kong protests, threats toward Taiwan, and so on, have definitely prepared the ground for that.”