Event Report: Japan-South Korea Relations: Partnership or Discord?
On November 22nd from 4:00 to 5:00 PM EST, the Centre for the Study of Global Japan co-hosted the webinar “Japan–South Korea Relations: Partnership or Discord?” as part of the Asian Institute’s East Asia Seminar Series. The event featured esteemed panelists Andrew Yeo, a senior fellow and the SK-Korea Foundation Chair at Brookings Institution’s Center for Asia Policy Studies, and Jennifer M. Lind, Associate Professor of Government at the University of Dartmouth. The webinar was co-moderated and co-chaired by Philip Lipscy, Professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto, and Diana Fu, Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto.
The discussion opened with the question: Can Japan and South Korea partner together as leading Asian democracies as a counterweight to China, or is their relationship too fraught? Dr. Jennifer Lind began by citing recent cooperation under Prime Minister Kishida and Yoon Suk Yeol, with the Camp David summit in 2023 and their engagement in joint military exercises. However, she also emphasised two key challenges: the enduring historical issue, referring to Japanese atrocities in the early 20th century, and divergent threat perceptions. Lind argued that overemphasis on historical reconciliation overshadows Japan's numerous apologies and has created “apology fatigue”. More significantly, she identified divergent threat perceptions as the primary barrier to cooperation; although Japan views China as a direct security threat in alignment with the U.S., South Korea has prioritised its economic ties with China as a counterforce to North Korea.
Meanwhile, Dr. Andrew Yeo offered an optimistic perspective of Japan—South Korea relations, citing the success of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s administration of promoting Korea’s position in the Indo-Pacific and improving its ties with Japan, thus reviving the trilateral relationship between South Korea, Japan, and the U.S. He mentioned the improvement of public opinion towards Japan, as well as the record number of Korean tourists visiting the country in 2024. Yeo also detailed various trilateral meetings with the U.S., such as the Camp David summit, which has reinforced the bilateral relationship.
Following this, the moderators posed a question on the promising areas of cooperation between Japan and South Korea. Both speakers highlighted technology, particularly in shaping the regulatory spaces of emerging fields such as green energy, AI and quantum computing. In addition, Yeo mentioned security, including sharing radar information on North Korean missiles, as well as strengthening supply chains on critical minerals as a shared interest. Finally, the panelists discussed the lessons learnt from the previous Trump administration and the implications of his upcoming presidency. Yeo commented how former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo was skilled at diplomacy with Trump due to their similar demeanours. He finds that South Korea is in a stronger position than eight years ago and is hoping to cooperate in areas of industrial production.
To conclude the event, there was a question-and-answer period led by Philip Lipscy and Diana Fu. These included topics such as whether AI regulation could be seen as a threat to Chinese security, and solutions to mitigate the negative public perception towards Japan. We would like to extend our thanks to the panelists for their insights and the moderators for their questions, as well as the audience for their participation. A recording of the webinar can be accessed here.
