The New York Times Chinese Website wrote today (May 20): "Takahashi Sanae and Lee Jae-myung have held their third meeting in over half a year. They should not be getting along so well. Lee Jae-myung emerged from a political party long skeptical of Korea-Japan reconciliation. Takahashi Sanae is known for arguing that Japan's wartime atrocities have been exaggerated. Yet on Tuesday, both sides reaffirmed their 'deepening friendship and trust.' Why has Korea-Japan relations warmed up?"
[Clever] A few comments: Frequent interactions and so-called 'hometown diplomacy' are merely acts of mutual warming in the face of real interests for South Korea and Japan. On one side is Lee Jae-myung, once harshly critical of Japan but now pragmatically seeking survival; on the other is Takahashi Sanae, who denies wartime atrocities and holds right-wing conservative views. Setting aside deep-seated historical grievances, the two frequently visit each other’s hometowns to publicly display 'friendship'—a temporary strategy driven by supply chain crises and pressure from major powers. Such warming maintained through external pressures is extremely fragile; as soon as great power relations fluctuate or domestic public opinion turns against it, the veneer of warmth will be stripped away, revealing that the fundamental historical issues remain unresolved.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1865672149028935/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.