HONOLULU -- The strains in the Japan-South Korea relationship are far too deep-rooted for any single summit meeting to assuage. Rather, the objective of any summit should be setting the proper tone for bilateral relations. By this yardstick, the meeting Monday between Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun should be considered a success.
The two men didn't pretend that it was business as usual. They didn't posture, but instead acknowledged the issues that divide their countries. Significantly, they demonstrated the mutual respect that is essential to progress in fixing their damaged relationship.
Plenty of incidents have inflamed relations between Japan and South Korea. A short list includes Koizumi's repeated visits to Yasukuni Shrine, Education Ministry approval of a history textbook said to whitewash Japan's occupation of Korea and other incidents, disputes over ownership of the Takeshima/Tok-do islets, and the statement by a Japanese diplomat that the United States does not trust Seoul with its intelligence.