North Korea's nuclear test this week set off alarm bells in Japan and South Korea, but its more enduring outcome may be the cementing of a fragile reconciliation that could lead to military cooperation between the two key U.S. allies.
Japan and South Korea reached a landmark agreement last month to resolve the issue of "comfort women" forced to work in Japan's wartime military brothels, which had been an emotive impediment to better ties. Japan apologized and promised about ¥1 billion ($8.47 million) to help surviving women who were coerced into prostitution.
North Korea's latest nuclear detonation could strengthen that reconciliation, say military officials and defense experts, as the two countries unite against a common threat. That, in turn, could lead to military cooperation instead of the frosty distance they have maintained, even though they are Washington's closest allies in the region.