Prime Minister Fumio Kishida¡¯s visit to Seoul ¡ª the first such trip in over 12 years ¡ª and his cautious personal expression of contrition for Japan¡¯s colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula are expected to give South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol a boost and add more momentum to improving ties.
But while the two leaders will look to bask in the success of a fruitful summit, the relationship remains fragile ¡ª despite the breakneck speed of progress Kishida and Yoon have made, experts say.
Sunday¡¯s summit spotlighted the return of ¡°shuttle diplomacy¡± ¡ª where leaders hold regular visits to each others¡¯ countries ¡ª but also saw the Japanese leader reiterate his determination to stand by Japan¡¯s past apologies for its 1910-45 colonial rule of the peninsula while delivering a rare articulation of his own feelings on the issue.
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