South Korea's Lee should not slow efforts to improve Japan ties

New president and Tokyo must cooperate in face of Pyongyang threat, US tariffs

Editorial S Korea 2025-06-06

Lee Jae-myung waves to his supporters in Seoul on June 4 after winning the South Korean presidential election the day before. (Photo by Mayumi Tsumita)

Newly inaugurated South Korean President Lee Jae-myung should not blunt progress toward improved relations between his nation and Japan.

Lee, from the left-leaning Democratic Party, assumed office on Wednesday and is now stressing the importance of cooperation between the two countries, pulling back from his previous harsher stance on Japan over historical and other bilateral problems.

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