Japan’s Departing Kishida Signals Successor with South Korea Summit, Reports Reuters

By Hyonhee Shin, John Geddie, and David Brunnstrom

SEOUL/TOKYO/WASHINGTON – In what will be his final summit this week with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Japan’s outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida intends to convey support not just for South Korea, but also for potential successors in Japan.

Encouraged by U.S. President Joe Biden, Kishida and Yoon have managed to reverse a significant drop in relations, which had deteriorated to their lowest point in decades due to contentious diplomatic and trade disputes stemming from Japan’s occupation of Korea from 1910 to 1945.

However, the durability of this newly forged partnership will be put to the test with Kishida’s looming exit and the potential for shifts in U.S. leadership ahead of the presidential election in November.

According to Tetsuo Kotani, a senior fellow at the Japan Institute of International Affairs, Kishida needs to demonstrate that his rapprochement with Yoon represents a beneficial direction for Japan-Korea relations, encouraging his successor to maintain the current diplomatic path.

Political right-wing factions in Japan have expressed discontent with Kishida’s engagement with Yoon, suggesting any new leader may feel pressure to adopt a tougher stance. A senior U.S. administration official noted, "Historically, shifts in political leadership can either reverse progress or set the stage for setbacks in Japan-Korea relations."

While no major announcements are anticipated from the summit, officials view Kishida’s final visit to Seoul as a strategic effort to strengthen a united front against challenges posed by North Korea and China.

This visit serves as both a gesture of gratitude toward Yoon and a signal to the Japanese government and prospective prime ministerial candidates that the partnership with South Korea must be integral to Japan’s foreign policy moving forward.

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party in Japan is set to elect Kishida’s successor on September 27.

In a previous meeting at Camp David, Biden brought together Yoon and Kishida to deepen military and economic cooperation, where they also issued a firm joint statement condemning China’s "dangerous and aggressive behavior" in the South China Sea.

This initiative was aimed at establishing a resilient partnership, ensuring that neither country would be inclined to withdraw from their cooperative stance despite potential political changes. Yoon has expressed confidence that the relationship will endure due to the diplomatic agreements in place between the two nations.

Concerns about the new prime minister’s approach linger, especially given the close rapport between the current leaders, according to a senior South Korean government official. However, they maintain that the essentials of the relationship will remain unchanged, and Kishida’s visit will emphasize the importance of maintaining good relations with Korea.

Kishida expressed a strong desire to meet Yoon one last time before concluding his term. The summit is expected to produce a memorandum of understanding related to evacuating civilians during emergencies in third countries.

South Korean officials are hopeful for conciliatory remarks from Kishida regarding Koreans who were coerced into labor during the occupation. Even without such comments, the visit could help sustain ongoing diplomatic engagements.

A Japanese foreign ministry official noted Japan’s ambition to expand bilateral ties into a more dynamic phase. However, some of Yoon’s policies have faced backlash at home, as many South Koreans believe Japan has not sufficiently addressed historical grievances tied to its occupation.

Japan asserts that these issues were resolved by a 1965 treaty, although several South Korean governments and court rulings have contested that position.

From Japan’s perspective, there are concerns about the continuity of South Korea’s foreign policy following changes in its government, echoed by Kim Hyoung-zhin, former South Korean ambassador to the EU and NATO, who noted that similar worries exist regarding shifts in leadership in Tokyo.