South Korea pays attention to ”hardline conservative” Prime Minister Takaichi... President Lee says ”shuttle diplomacy is important”

As the new Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, begins to take charge of the administration, interest in the future of Japan-Korea relations is growing in South Korea.
This is because, if he is forced into a political defensive position, he may "engage in far-right actions," such as visiting Yasukuni Shrine.
Furthermore, he has said that "we must face the past squarely" regarding the historical issues between Japan and Korea.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, who has maintained a tone of "no" (pronounced "no" in Japanese), will continue to maintain the same tone in his dealings with Japan.
On the 21st, President Lee sent a congratulatory message to Prime Minister Takaichi via Facebook, saying,
"We are now at a critical turning point where we must open up a new 60 years of Korea-Japan relations," he said. "At this critical juncture, I will work with the Prime Minister to build a future-oriented cooperative relationship between the two countries and among the people of both countries."
"I look forward to meeting you in person and engaging in constructive dialogue at the upcoming APEC summit in Gyeongju," he added.
Prime Minister Takaichi also sent a friendly message regarding South Korea, calling it an "important neighboring country." Prime Minister Takaichi said, "I will build on the foundation of the Japan-Korea relationship that has been built up between the two administrations to date, and continue to build a future-oriented and stable Japan-Korea relationship."
"I would like to steadily develop this relationship," he said, adding, "I also hope to meet with President Lee." He continued, "The importance of Japan-Korea relations is increasing," and "Japan, the United States, and South Korea are working together to address the issue of 'response to North Korea.'"
"Since security and economic cooperation is necessary in this respect, we will also steadily promote cooperation from a strategic perspective," he emphasized.
In response to a question about concerns that Japan-Korea relations might worsen in the future, he said, "Korean relations are good.
"I use Korean cosmetics and watch Korean TV series," he said, revealing his close relationship with her. President Lee will meet with Prime Minister Takaichi for the first time on the occasion of the APEC summit to be held in Gyeongju next week.
It is expected that Prime Minister Takaichi will visit South Korea on the 30th of this month and stay for two nights and three days, and it has been reported that "the dates and themes of the Japan-South Korea summit are being coordinated between the Japanese and South Korean authorities."
In fact, as if conscious of her upcoming meeting with US President Donald Trump and the Japan-Korea summit, Prime Minister Takaichi decided not to visit the Yasukuni Shrine's "regular festival" held from the 17th to the 19th of this month.
Given this, some are of the opinion that "Prime Minister Takaichi will likely refrain from taking hardline far-right actions for the time being in order to reaffirm her commitment to building stable Japan-US-South Korea cooperation."
Furthermore, this year marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and South Korea. The two countries have agreed to develop a future-oriented relationship. Shuttle diplomacy will resume for the first time in over a decade.
Moreover, with the friendly atmosphere continuing, including the shuttle diplomacy between President Lee and former Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru, making a strong statement on historical issues could dampen the atmosphere.
The "variable" going forward will be the domestic political situation in both countries. Prime Minister Takaichi was elected as prime minister through a coalition with the Japan Restoration Party, but in terms of political engineering, it is a "coalition dominated by the opposition." Japan Restoration Party
This is because the party itself has far-right tendencies, and the Liberal Democratic Party, which has already suffered three consecutive defeats in the House of Councillors elections, may use Japan-Korea relations as a card to protect itself against a worsening public opinion.
Kim Jae-cheon, a professor at the Graduate School of International Studies at Sogang University in South Korea, said, "For the time being, they will be in a management mode and the atmosphere of reconciliation will continue for at least six months."
If he is forced into a difficult situation, he may take advantage of anti-Korean sentiment or make statements or take sudden actions that provoke Japan's conservative nationalism."
Some are of the opinion that it will be difficult to remain silent and just watch. When President Lee was the party leader, he took a hard-line stance on issues such as the history between Japan and South Korea, but since taking office as president,
The two countries have shown a willingness to cooperate as part of diplomatic normalization. However, the problem is that if Prime Minister Takaichi takes far-right actions in the future, there is a possibility that she will be criticized by the public for being "passive on historical issues."
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