Yoon Suk-yeol, before his inauguration as South Korea¡¯s president, stressed that restoring bilateral ties with Japan was one of his highest priorities.
¡°Bilateral relations with Japan also require a rethink, and Seoul should recognize the strategic importance of normalizing ties with Tokyo,¡± he wrote in Foreign Affairs during the presidential campaign.
Repairing the relationship ¡ª which reached a nadir under former President Moon Jae-in as disputes over historical issues led to export restrictions, informal boycotts and threats to sever defense and intelligence links ¡ª is part of a broader strategy of raising South Korea¡¯s global presence. And that is an outcome in the interest of both South Korea and Japan (as well as the United States).
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