By Ankit Panda
Shinzo Abe and Park Geun-hye will meet for the first time on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit 2014.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Park Geun-hye will officially meet for the first time on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) in The Hague next week. The meeting will be held in a trilateral setting with U.S. President Barack Obama present as well. Generally, most Japanese Prime Ministers meet with an incumbent South Korea President within their first year in office. That Abe has taken longer to meet with Park highlights the changing nature of bilateral ties between South Korea and Japan.
Japan and South Korea, while both important allies for the United States, have had limited high-level diplomatic contact since Shinzo Abe’s return to power in Japan because of historical issues and a general mistrust of Abe’s intentions. Popular opinion in South Korea additionally regards Abe poorly over his nationalist views, considering him to be unapologetic for Japan’s wartime aggression, including the use of Korean “comfort women” by Japanese soldiers. Additionally, under Abe, Japan has approved a new defense posture, larger budget, and established a National Security Council — all trends that prompt observers in South Korea to fear a resurgent and military-focused Japan.