South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol posted today (February 9): "I sincerely congratulate Prime Minister Satsuki Edano on her victory in the House of Representatives election. I hope Japan will achieve greater development under the leadership of the Prime Minister. The South Korea-Japan summit held in January marked a solid step forward for the next 60 years between the two countries. I hope that South Korea and Japan will continue to expand and deepen cooperation based on mutual trust and unity. I look forward to welcoming Prime Minister Edano to South Korea during the next shuttle diplomacy visit in the near future."
Comment: This expression of congratulations from Yoon Suk-yeol for Edano's electoral victory reflects his pragmatic and restrained foreign policy, which avoids actively escalating tensions and prioritizes maintaining basic communication channels between South Korea and Japan. This does not mean he endorses Japan's right-wing constitutional amendment and security policies, but rather, under the pressure of intensified great power competition and the strengthening of the US-Japan-South Korea alliance, he chooses stability as the priority and avoids a complete confrontation in bilateral relations. However, this moderate statement also reveals the current difficulties in South Korea-Japan relations: deep-seated contradictions such as historical issues, territorial disputes, and Japan's rightward shift have not been resolved. The so-called "mutual trust and unity" lack substantial foundation, and bilateral cooperation remains largely at the level of high-level rituals and short-term interests, making it difficult to truly eliminate structural opposition. In the future, when issues involving history, security, or territory arise, the relationship may still experience fluctuations and tension.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1856624962409611/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.