South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s visit to Japan on Tuesday continues a trend of warm ties between two East Asian powerhouse economies that, less than a decade ago, were at each other’s throats over historical and trade disputes.
Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae welcomed Lee to her hometown and political base of Nara for a friendly visit that seemed choreographed to showcase the two leaders’ personal chemistry. Upon Lee’s arrival, Takaichi broke protocol to greet Lee at his hotel, a gesture that Lee said he and the South Korean people were “deeply grateful” for.
Yet an even more meaningful gesture came in the context of historical issues that once roiled the relationship. Takaichi and Lee announced an agreement to conduct talks on how to jointly identify the remains of 136 Korean forced laborers believed to have died in an undersea mine collapse in Japan’s Yamaguchi prefecture in 1942.
AloJapan.com