Recent signs that Japan and South Korea are making subtle overtures to each other have raised hopes that they are moving toward de-escalating their diplomatic feud.
But while their foreign ministers agreed Wednesday to continue dialogue, it remains unclear what a compromise that would satisfy both sides would look like, making it unlikely that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in will agree to a detente anytime soon.
Seoul on Thursday also announced that it would scrap a key intelligence-sharing pact with Tokyo, saying that it did not meet South Korea's "national interests" to maintain the deal amid the spat.