China Creating Crisis in East Asia... Pressure on South Korea-Japan Relations to Recover

China's Military and Economic Rise
US-Led Strengthening of Asian Regional Alliances Strategy

President Yoon Suk-yeol is attending the ASEAN+3 (South Korea, China, Japan) Summit and is taking a commemorative photo with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The South Korean government’s announcement of a tripartite compensation plan for victims of Japan’s forced labor during its colonial rule has been welcomed by the United States and the EU. Major foreign media interpreted South Korea’s gesture of reconciliation toward Japan as a result of China’s military and economic rise prompting Asian countries to strengthen U.S.-led alliances.

On the 6th (local time), U.S. President Joe Biden expressed his welcome for the announcement, calling it "a groundbreaking new chapter" in South Korea-Japan relations. The U.S. State Department added that "discussions on sensitive historical issues between the South Korean and Japanese governments have reached a conclusion." At a briefing that day, spokesperson Ned Price emphasized, "We encourage South Korea and Japan to build steps to advance their bilateral relationship," and highlighted, "South Korea and the U.S. are the two most important allies in the Indo-Pacific, and strengthening their relationship leads to progress toward our shared goals."

The European Union (EU) also expressed its support for South Korea’s decision. The European External Action Service (EEAS), the EU’s diplomatic body, stated, "South Korea and Japan are very important and strategic like-minded partners to the EU," and explained, "They are key pillars in promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific region."

The announcement is seen as laying the foundation for strengthening the U.S.-led trilateral alliance among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan across the Pacific. The more solid the cooperation among the three countries, the more effectively they can check the expanding influence of Russia and China. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) noted, "Until now, the conflict between South Korea and Japan, the largest allies in the region for the U.S., was the only blemish," and assessed, "With the South Korean government’s announcement of this solution, a path has been presented to resolve the biggest short-term threat to South Korea-Japan relations."

In Japan’s case, facing security crises such as the threat from China and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the two countries chose to improve their relationship. The Asahi Shimbun reported, "Amid the shifting international situation including U.S.-China conflicts, North Korea’s nuclear missile development, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, there is a growing perception that countries sharing democratic values are trustworthy partners," and added, "From a broad global perspective, now is not the time for South Korea and Japan to be at odds."

Nihon Keizai Shimbun explained South Korea’s decision by stating, "Recently, the U.S. has reduced its level of engagement with North Korea due to the Russia-Ukraine invasion and tensions with China, which has become a burden for the South Korean government." As security threats from China and North Korea intensify, the South Korean government judged that the cohesion of the South Korea-U.S.-Japan trilateral alliance is essential from both security and economic perspectives.

However, Japanese foreign media cautioned that it is still too early to conclude that relations with South Korea have fully recovered. This is due to anticipated strong public backlash and concerns that policies toward Japan could change if the government is replaced. Junya Nishino, a professor at Keio University, told Nihon Keizai Shimbun, "The Yoon Seok-yeol administration has taken on a significant political burden domestically with this decision," and added, "If there is a change of government in four years, it cannot be ruled out that South Korea might raise the issue again."

Earlier, the South Korean government announced a tripartite compensation plan for victims of Japan’s forced labor during its colonial rule, whereby a domestic foundation would raise funds to compensate victims instead of Japanese wartime companies. Accordingly, Japanese defendant companies such as Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Nippon Steel will no longer participate in victim compensation.

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