South Korea and Japan engaged in high-level economic talks on Thursday, marking the resumption of discussions that had been stalled for eight years, Reuters reported.
The talks, initiated in 1999, faced a hiatus since 2016 due to strained relations stemming from historical disputes related to Japan’s occupation of Korea from 1910 to 1945. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, prioritising diplomatic mending, has taken significant steps to improve ties with Tokyo since assuming office in 2022.
Kang Jae-kwon, South Korea’s deputy foreign minister for economic affairs, met with his Japanese counterpart Keiichi Ono, senior deputy foreign minister, to assess bilateral economic cooperation and discuss economic security policy. Kang expressed optimism, stating, “I hope that today’s meeting will be a constructive time to contribute to restoring and deepening economic relations between the two countries.”
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The thaw in relations reflects a broader trend of increasing cooperation driven by shared geopolitical concerns. Earlier this year, South Korea announced plans for its companies to compensate individuals who were forced to work under Japan’s occupation from 1910 to 1945, signalling efforts to resolve historical disputes. This move aimed to strengthen unity among US-led efforts against common challenges posed by China and North Korea.
In a demonstration of enhanced trilateral collaboration, Japan, South Korea, and the United States recently launched a real-time missile data-sharing system to monitor Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programs.
Furthermore, Japan reinstated South Korea to its “white list” for exports, granting fast-track trade status, and lifted export curbs on high-tech materials in March. However, despite these positive steps, lingering friction remains in the ties between Japan and South Korea.
Ongoing challenges include South Korea’s decade-long ban on seafood from the vicinity of the Fukushima nuclear power plant and a recent South Korean court ruling in favour of “comfort women” – women forced to work in Japanese wartime brothels.
Notably, South Korea’s Supreme Court on Thursday upheld rulings ordering two Japanese companies to compensate South Koreans who were forced to work under Japan’s colonial rule, prompting a swift protest from Tokyo.
(With inputs from Reuters)
