Seoul: Marking the 80th anniversary of its liberation from Japan's colonial rule, South Korea faces the challenge of balancing historical grievances with practical diplomacy toward Tokyo, a test that could define the Lee Jae Myung government's "two-track" policy of separating historical disputes from future-oriented cooperation. Eighty years ago this Friday, Korea was liberated from 35 years of Japanese colonial rule, as Japan declared its unconditional surrender following the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
According to Yonhap News Agency, since then, relations between South Korea and Japan have gone through repeated ups and downs, often shaped by domestic politics and each country's approach to diplomacy. The longstanding tensions are deeply rooted in Japan's colonial occupation of the Korean Peninsula. Over the past decades, the two neighbors have rarely sustained an amicable relationship. Since the normalization of diplomatic ties in 1965, nearly every South Korean government -- no matter how committed its president was to improving relations with Tokyo -- has seen those efforts eventually falter.
Upon taking office in early June, Lee signaled his intent to maintain the recent positive momentum in relations with Japan, under his "pragmatic and national interests-oriented" foreign policy. His stance came as something of a surprise because, as the main opposition leader, Lee had fiercely criticized his predecessor, former President Yoon Suk Yeol, for his bold efforts to improve ties with Japan. Lee condemned Yoon's decision to compensate Korean victims of wartime forced labor without Japanese financial contributions as "submissive and shameful" diplomacy.
Experts say Lee's shift in tone toward Japan reflects the evolving geopolitical landscape faced by both countries -- from U.S. President Donald Trump's administration's steep tariffs and moves to reshape alliances with calls for allies to share more of their own defense burden to the rise of an increasingly assertive China, as well as deepening military ties between Russia and North Korea. These changing dynamics have brought South Korea and Japan closer, perhaps than at any other time in the past eight decades, placing them in a position to strategically cooperate on multiple shared fronts.
"Ironically, the current situation has become a strong incentive for South Korea and Japan to deepen their cooperation, largely because of the United States," said Jo Yang-hyeon, a professor at the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security. "In the past, stronger U.S. involvement tended to improve Korea-Japan relations, but now, with the second Trump administration's move to reshape alliances, there's the shared sense of urgency that is pushing Seoul and Tokyo to work more closely together," Jo said.
Still, questions linger over whether, and for how long, Lee will stick to his pledge to keep relations with Japan on track. Unresolved issues continue to hang over the two countries. One is the upcoming memorial for Korean victims forced to work at Japan's Sado mines during World War II. Japan had promised to hold the event every year after South Korea agreed not to oppose the mine's inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage list. But South Korea boycotted the first memorial last year, saying Japan had failed to show genuine efforts to acknowledge the victims.
In June, a bilateral deal on joint development of an underwater continental shelf expired. While it can be extended, Japan is widely expected to pull out of the agreement. Long-standing thorny issues remain, including Japan's claims over South Korea's Dokdo islets, its distortion of history in school textbooks, and the unresolved issue of Japan's sexual enslavement of Korean women during the war.
Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's waning political standing, following his party's defeat in last month's upper house election, has cast doubt on the future of bilateral relations. With the 80th anniversary of liberation approaching, attention is turning to what message, if any, Lee will send to Japan in his Liberation Day speech Friday.
Former President Yoon did not mention Japan in his Liberation Day speeches for two years in a row, a notable break from past presidents, who often used the occasion to address historical tensions and signal their policy direction toward Tokyo. "Relations with Japan were at their best under (ex-President Kim Dae-jung) because he clearly drew the line between what we should do and what we should never do," Jo said. "There was no politicization of relations with Japan, no framing of pro- or anti-Japan as a political tool in diplomacy."
Eyes are also on when Lee and Ishiba will resume "shuttle diplomacy," or regular visits by leaders, as they agreed at their first bilateral talks in Canada in June. Speculation is growing that Lee may visit Japan either before or after his Aug. 25 summit with Trump in the United States. The presidential office said no decision has been made regarding a possible stop in Tokyo for talks with Ishiba.
If bilateral ties are to move forward, what Seoul may need is to reset its goals toward a "cool-headed" Japan policy that reflects today's realities, experts say. "While it's important to remain principled and respond firmly on historical issues, the past history should no longer define the core of diplomacy with Japan," Jo said. "The key question now is whether our relationship with Japan becomes a stumbling block or a stepping stone moving forward."