One year has passed since South Korean President Lee Myung-bak set foot on the disputed Takeshima Islands (Dokdo in Korean) in the Sea of Japan on Aug. 10, 2012. Although Mr. Shinzo Abe returned to power in Japan in December and Ms. Park Geun-hye took office as South Korea's new president in February, the bilateral relationship remains chilly and shows no signs of improving.
There are no mutual visits by the two countries' foreign ministers and there is no prospect of a meeting between Mr. Abe and Ms. Park. Both countries should realize that the present situation is detrimental to their mutual interests and strive to use every available route of communication to improve ties.
Ms. Park is trying to present her country as a middle power in this region that posits itself between two big powers — the United States and China. When she visited the U.S. and China in May and June, respectively, she stated that Japan's perception of 20th century history of this region is problematic.