Grass-root ties between Japan and South Korea look better than at any time since the end of World War II. Mutual understanding and friendship have deepened visibly over the past few years, as demonstrated by the successful cohosting of the 2002 World Cup and the surge of Japanese interest in South Korean pop culture. Seen against this backdrop, Friday's summit meeting could not have been more cordial.
During the two-hour meeting, held in the hot springs resort of Ibusuki, Kagoshima Prefecture, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun agreed to expand bilateral exchanges and speed up talks on a free trade agreement. They also agreed to meet twice a year. The last time they met was in July, on the South Korean resort island of Jeju.
Japan and South Korea, as close neighbors, are destined to cooperate with each other. The immediate question is how to deal with the nuclear ambitions of North Korea. When it comes to the abductee issue, the two leaders are not exactly of the same mind, although both believe that bringing the North Koreans into the international community is essential to prosperity and stability in East Asia.