Amid Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio’s decision to not run for re-election, the sustainability of improved Korea-Japan relations and the future of bilateral ties is uncertain.
Diplomacy with Pyongyang should be welcomed, but it is difficult to foresee how Japan can realize actual negotiations with North Korea.
The intensity, level, and sweep of trilateral cooperation we have seen in the past year has gone beyond any previous efforts.
While progress has been made in easing the tension between Seoul and Tōkyō, perennial historical issues will be challenges in the new year.