Will history judge Park Jin’s trip to Japan this week — a mere month and a half after taking office as South Korea’s foreign minister — as the most consequential diplomatic mission of President Yoon Suk-yeol’s young administration?
A good visit — and it will take both skill and luck — could reset a relationship that has been on the rocks for far too long, and in so doing, produce a critical shift in the regional balance of power.
His trip assumes still greater significance given political tides in each country and narrowing opportunities for reorientation. Skepticism and distrust remain palpable. Understandable caution could reinforce hesitation, making progress harder still. This downward spiral must be stopped.