On Oct. 1, Japan confirmed Shigeru Ishiba as its new prime minister. Ishiba’s victory in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leadership race came as a surprise to many, but his election was received warmly in nearby South Korea. President Yoon Suk Yeol and Ishiba held their first phone call on Oct. 2, in which the leaders agreed to make the “good relationship” sustainable and continue their in-person visits.

Throughout his career, Ishiba has emphasized the value of the bilateral relationship, noting in 2019 that deteriorating relations between Tokyo and Seoul do not add to the peace and stability of the region. He has also been keen to understand South Korea’s position on historical issues and is reluctant about visiting Yasukuni Shrine — long a contentious issue between Japan and neighbors like China and South Korea — as prime minister.

This will likely be a boon for sustained cooperation with the Yoon administration, as Ishiba aims to carry forward former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s achievements in the bilateral space including restarting working-level defense talks for the first time in nine years and enhancing cooperation to areas like economic security and advanced technologies such as quantum computing.

Ishiba’s new Cabinet also includes a supporting cast that shares the prime minister’s worldview, including Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and Akihisa Nagashima, a special adviser to the prime minister on security issues.

The security-oriented lineup,........

© The Korea Times