President Yoon and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio at a joint press conference in Tokyo on March 16.
NIKKEI ASIA SCREENSHOT
Nikkei Asia reported on June 8 that South Korea has taken a warmer approach towards Japan in its National Security Strategy released a day earlier, in the context of President Yoon Suk Yeol's administration pledging to strengthen cooperation with Tokyo.
The new strategy is the first since Mr. Yoon took office in 2022 and shifts away from his previous hardline stance on historical and geopolitical issues between the two countries.
Accordingly, South Korea views Japan as an important neighbor and seeks cooperation in areas such as national security and the economy . The strategy calls for the two countries to build a new future, reflecting the spirit of the 1998 Japan-South Korea Joint Declaration.
Seoul's previous strategy, released in 2018 under former President Moon Jae-in, said South Korea would face history sternly and accused Japan of "distorting history and making false claims over Dokdo" - rocky islands in the Sea of Japan controlled by Seoul and claimed by Tokyo as Takeshima.
Since Mr. Yoon took office, the two countries have made diplomatic progress on hot-button issues such as wartime labor that have affected cooperation on security and economic issues.
President Yoon has also shifted South Korea's stance toward North Korea. The previous administration emphasized peaceful solutions to disagreements, and the latest document identifies Pyongyang's nuclear weapons capabilities as the "most pressing" threat to South Korea.
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The strategy emphasizes the importance for Seoul of ensuring the ability to deter threats and conduct preemptive strikes and mass retaliation.
In addition, the strategy calls for a comprehensive global strategic alliance with the United States, based on shared values. The strategy outlines strategic engagement with China, while the government pledges to act on those principles and national interests.
South Korea’s strategy also calls for a diplomatic review of relations with Russia, criticizing Russia’s campaign in Ukraine and emphasizing South Korea’s participation in international cooperation to restore peace. However, Seoul also pledged to work for stable relations with Russia.
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