Japan 'cautiously Optimistic For Improving Ties With S.korea'
Japan's government is watching the moves of South Korea's new administration with both optimism and caution, as the two sides seek opportunities to improve strained bilateral ties.
South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol is due to inaugurate his government on May 10.
He is taking office at a time when relations between the two countries have sharply deteriorated over historical issues involving wartime labor and those referred to as comfort women.
Yoon's nominee for foreign minister Park Jin said on Monday that if bilateral ties remain strained, it will not be in the interest of either country.
A delegation of South Korean lawmakers and diplomatic experts is scheduled to arrive in Tokyo on Sunday to exchange views.
The series of moves is seen as a positive sign among Japanese government officials.
They say that cooperation between the two countries, along with the United States, is gaining even more importance, given the Russian invasion of Ukraine, North Korea's missile launches and other recent challenges to the international order.
Still, the Japanese government does not intend to change its stance of urging South Korea to handle the wartime issues appropriately. Japanese officials plan to cautiously watch the Yoon administration's actions, due to persistent concerns that public opinion in South Korea and other factors may hamper efforts to narrow the gap between the two sides.