Source: Christian Science Monitor
by staff
“For Asia’s democracies – the ones eager to work together to fend off the region’s autocratic bullies – a May 13 announcement in Tokyo was welcome news: For the first time, South Korean and Japanese troops would be operating shoulder to shoulder in a joint military exercise in early June. The two neighboring nations, a ferryboat ride apart, would notch one more success in their slow reconciliation over painful memories, such as forced labor, from Japan’s 1910-1945 occupation of the Korean Peninsula. Alas, South Korea quickly denied the news, even though its forces will be participating with those of the United States and the Philippines in the annual exercise – which includes Japan. One possible reason for this conflicting information: South Korea holds a presidential election June 3, the day after the military drills. In Korean politics, relations with Japan have long been a hotly contested topic.” (05/16/25)
https://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/the-monitors-view/2025/0516/Why-Japan-South-Korea-inch-closer