PM Kishida Arranging To Skip South Korea Presidential Inauguration

Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is arranging to skip the inauguration of South Korea's President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol on May 10 due to unresolved bilateral diplomatic tensions, government sources told Sankei.

• The report notes that while South Korea was expecting Kishida to attend, the Japanese administration believes that such visit would be premature, as the two nations remain at odds over compensation for wartime forced labourers and "comfort women".
• Relations between Tokyo and Seoul hit rock bottom during the tenure of outgoing President Moon Jae-in, but his successor and China hawk Yoon expressed willingness to mend ties with Japan.
• In a bid to break the ice with the Kishida administration, Yoon send a delegation of his aides to Japan this week to lay the groundwork for future cooperation, as both countries grow wary over China's increasing foreign policy assertiveness.
• The Sankei report notes that Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi could represent Japan at Yoon's inauguration as a goodwill gesture, as Tokyo views a top-level visit as too risky in terms of domestic politics.
• According to sources interviewed by Sankei, the concern in Japan is that if bilateral relations sour again in the wake of Yoon's inauguration, Prime Minister Kishida would take the flak for a diplomatic misstep.