Yoon Suk-yeol prevailed in South Korea’s presidential election Wednesday, eking out a minuscule margin of victory in a bitterly fought campaign.
The return of a conservative to the Blue House could transform South Korean foreign policy and offers a chance for a turnaround in Japan’s relations with its neighbor. It won’t be easy, however: Yoon is an inexperienced politician, leads a deeply divided country and the progressive party maintains its grip on the National Assembly.
The Japanese government should do all it can to be a good partner for South Korea and forge a productive and forward-looking relationship with Seoul. But it is up to South Korea to start that process and make it possible.