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Geopolitics

South Korea And Japan: Burying An Ugly Past To Counter China's Rise

South Korean President, Yoon Suk-yeol, made a gesture of reconciliation towards Japan, the country's former colonizer. It gives Washington hope that its two key Asian allies can overcome differences as they face an emboldened China and North Korea.

Photo of a 2019 Chinese military parade for the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China

Chinese military parade for the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China

Pierre Haski

-Analysis-

South Korea's leader President Yoon took advantage of the commemoration of a key date in the Japanese occupation of South Korea, March 1, 1919, to make an unequivocal statement: "Today, more than a century after the March 1 movement, Japan has transformed from a militaristic aggressor of the past into a partner with whom we share the same universal values."

It was an outstretched hand with no conditions attached.


The subject remains sensitive in South Korea, and the leader of the opposition immediately accused the president of having a "submissive" attitude towards Japan. His reaction shows the weight of Yoon's gesture, because it is not obvious that it is one completely shared by the South Korean public.

No reconciliation process

In 1910, Korea was annexed by the Empire of Japan and was considered part of the Japanese Empire until 1945. During that time, Japan launched an all-out attack on Korean culture to cement its position.

Asia has not undergone a reconciliation process like Europe with Germany after World War II. The divisions of the Cold War, and the ambiguity of a Japan still being led by the same emperor after its defeat, prevented true reconciliation.

It took some audacity to overcome the wounds of history.

Despite Japan's financial reparations to China and Korea, as well as advanced political and economic relations, it takes little to reignite memorial tensions. In Korea, the issue of compensation for forced labor and "comfort women," who were into forced prostitution with Japanese soldiers, has never been fully resolved. Add territorial conflicts over the possession of certain islands, and you have an insoluble equation.

This is all the more paradoxical as South Korea and Japan are both allies of the United States and have the same geopolitical interests.

Photo of ROK President Yoon Suk-yeol, US President Biden and Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in a 2022 meeting.

ROK President Yoon Suk-yeol, US President Biden and Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in a 2022 meeting.

内閣官房内閣広報室

Overcoming history

The Americans have worked hard to reduce tensions between their two main Asian allies. That was done without much success for a long time, despite the rising tensions with China and North Korea.

But in the climate of the Cold War that is settling in Asia, and which constantly threatens to escalate into confrontation, Seoul and Tokyo are worried. They are concerned about China's military power in the South China Sea and around Taiwan, and North Korea's aggressiveness, which is using increasingly sophisticated missile tests.

Japan has just announced the doubling of its defense spending by 2028, while South Korea is openly discussing acquiring nuclear weapons. The rapprochement of these two allies of the United States was obvious, but it took some audacity to overcome the wounds of history.

There is certainly still a long way to go to achieve this reconciliation, but yesterday's speech opens up a possible path. To the delight of Washington, and the displeasure of Beijing and Pyongyang.

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FOCUS: Russia-Ukraine War

How Much Does Xi Jinping Care About Putin's ICC Arrest Warrant?

After the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Moscow for a three-day visit. How far will he be willing to go to support Putin, a fugitive from international justice?

Photo of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev

Extended meeting of Russian Interior Ministry board on Monday, March 20

Pierre Haski

-Analysis-

PARIS — Since Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin said last year that the friendship between their nations was "boundless," the world has wondered where the limits really lie. The Chinese president's three-day visit to Russia, which began Monday, gives us an opportunity to assess.

Xi's visit is important in many ways, particularly because the International Criminal Court has just issued an arrest warrant against Putin for his role in forcibly sending thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia. For Putin, there could be no better response to this international court, which he does not recognize, than to appear alongside the president of a great country, which, like Russia, is also a permanent member of the UN Security Council. How isolated can Putin really be, when the leader of 1.5 billion people in China comes to visit?

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