Seoul-Tokyo ties to remain strained for time being

In spite of leadership changes in both South Korea and Japan, efforts to mend frayed bilateral ties are likely to be bogged down for the time being and prospects for better relations will depend on how Japan responds to historical and territorial issues. Relations between Seoul and Tokyo have chilled following an unprecedented visit to the South Korean islets of Dokdo last August by the South’s former President Lee Myung-bak, who cited Tokyo’s unrepentant attitude over its brutal 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula as a key reason for his trip. Earlier Friday ,South Korea’s new President Park Geun-hye said Japan should face up to history and take responsibility for its wartime wrongdoing if the two countries are to overcome recurring tensions surrounding Tokyo’s colonial rule, and build genuine trust and cooperation. Park issued the appeal in an address marking Korea’s 1919 nationwide uprising against Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule. The speech was watched closely as it came just days after her inauguration and could set the tone for relations between the two countries.