In the Biden Era, Will Korea-Japan Relations Improve? ...Diplomatic White Paper Upgrades Them to 'Close Neighbors'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] With the advent of the new Biden administration in the United States, attention is focused on whether the deteriorating Korea-Japan relationship will improve. The issue of 'improving Korea-Japan relations' was raised during a call between the South Korean and U.S. presidents, and President Moon Jae-in has also shown a willingness to improve Korea-Japan relations. However, mixed signals still exist, as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs white paper upgraded the status of Korea-Japan relations, while the Ministry of National Defense white paper downgraded it again.

The '2020 Diplomatic White Paper' released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 5th stated regarding Korea-Japan relations, "Japan is our closest neighboring country with whom we must cooperate not only for bilateral relations but also for peace and prosperity in Northeast Asia and the world."

This is an upgraded expression from simply calling Japan a "neighboring country" in last year's diplomatic white paper. The 2020 Diplomatic White Paper covers diplomatic activities during 2019, and despite the deterioration of Korea-Japan relations throughout that year, the upgrade from "neighboring country" to "closest neighboring country" is analyzed as reflecting the government's intention to improve relations.

On the 5th, Foreign Minister nominee Chung Eui-yong also responded to independent lawmaker Kim Hong-il's question about the "goal of improving Korea-Japan relations" at the National Assembly confirmation hearing by saying, "I hope it will be restored to the status quo ante." President Moon also showed willingness to improve Korea-Japan relations at a National Security Council meeting last month, and recently, during a call with President Biden, they agreed that improving Korea-Japan relations and trilateral cooperation among Korea, the U.S., and Japan is important for peace and prosperity in the region.

Considering that the Biden administration emphasizes the restoration of the "Korea-U.S.-Japan trilateral alliance" from a diplomatic perspective, it is highly likely that our government will also make efforts to improve Korea-Japan relations based on this policy. However, there is analysis that practical improvement is difficult due to significant differences on sensitive issues such as the comfort women discussions and forced labor compensation rulings. Lee Myeon-woo, deputy director of the Sejong Institute, said, "The government has expressed its willingness to improve relations, but there have been no actual measures," adding, "This is a moment that requires decisive leadership for substantive improvement."

While the diplomatic white paper upgraded Japan's status, the previously published defense white paper downgraded Japan from "partner" to "neighboring country," indicating that the government has not established a clear policy on Korea-Japan relations. Regarding this, nominee Chung responded, "It is advisable to refer to the diplomatic white paper rather than the defense white paper for our government's position on Korea-Japan relations."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.