Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s victory in the lower house elections poses both opportunities and risks for the Korea-Japan relationship.

The real significance of South Korea’s successful 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit lies in the Lee administration’s decision to make demographics a major part of its policy agenda.

2025 was always going to be significant because it was the fiftieth anniversary of the two countries establishing diplomatic relations.

The upcoming LDP leadership race will test whether Seoul and Tokyo can preserve the fragile progress made in recent years.

For the first time since 1994, the ruling LDP coalition controls neither chamber of the Japanese legislature.

The leading candidate's attempts to moderate his position suggest Japan may not be as controversial in domestic politics as it has been.