ED Stability over populism

President Lee Jae Myung shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru during a summit held at Ishiba's residence on Saturday. Yonhap

The Seoul-Tokyo summit held on Saturday between President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru delivered an uncommon yet encouraging lesson in foreign policy. It demonstrated that the two nations are ready to move beyond their painful shared history and focus on building a cooperative future. This forward-looking stance on bilateral relations, as highlighted during the Lee-Ishiba meeting, is a welcome development.

However, an even more significant takeaway must not be overlooked.

Despite a change in government in Korea — from a conservative administration to a liberal one — the summit signaled that Korea’s foreign policy direction will remain consistent. Lee showed no intention of reversing the diplomatic commitments made by his conservative predecessor, Yoon Suk Yeol. This continuity stands out in a political landscape often marred by deep polarization.

During the summit, Lee and Ishiba pledged to strengthen bilateral ties and committed to working together to improve relations. They also reaffirmed the importance of the trilateral partnership among Korea, Japan and the United States, emphasizing its critical role in responding to today’s complex geopolitical challenges. Both leaders vowed to make joint efforts to create a virtuous cycle within this trilateral framework.

Such consistency in foreign policy deserves recognition, particularly given Korea’s highly polarized political environment. Historically, major policy shifts have often accompanied changes in leadership, especially when power transitions between conservative and liberal administrations.

Conservative leaders have generally prioritized the Korea-U.S. alliance and made concerted efforts to bolster the trilateral partnership with the U.S. and Japan. For such a partnership to function effectively, stable Seoul-Tokyo relations are crucial — hence their emphasis on strengthening ties with Japan.

In contrast, liberal administrations have often adopted a markedly different approach. For instance, under President Moon Jae-in, Korea’s relationships with both the U.S. and Japan came under strain. The Moon government pursued a strategic balancing act between Washington and Beijing, aiming to improve ties with China while maintaining the U.S. as a security guarantor. While the administration argued that both superpowers were equally important — China as Korea’s top trading partner and the U.S. as its main security ally — this attempt at equidistance ultimately proved counterproductive.

Against this backdrop, the Lee administration’s commitment to maintaining the diplomatic course set by its conservative predecessor is both unusual and commendable. It suggests a maturing Korean foreign policy — one that puts long-term national interest and geopolitical stability above partisan divides.

Korea’s foreign policy under Moon was marred by a series of missteps, particularly in its handling of relations with Japan. Tensions between Seoul and Tokyo reached a low point in 2018 when Korea's Supreme Court ruled in favor of victims of wartime forced labor, allowing them to seek compensation from Japanese companies.

This decision sharply contradicted Japan’s long-standing position that all historical claims — including those related to wartime forced labor and sex slavery — had been settled under the 1965 Treaty on Basic Relations between Korea and Japan, which restored diplomatic ties between the two nations.

During the Moon administration, anti-Japan sentiment surged, fueled in part by populist politicians who leveraged historical grievances to gain domestic political advantage. This approach, however, came at the cost of severely damaging Korea’s diplomatic relationship with Japan.

The Lee administration must avoid repeating those same mistakes.

Lee has declared himself a pragmatist rather than an ideologue, signaling a more flexible and stable approach to foreign policy. In an interview with a Japanese newspaper released before his visit to Tokyo, Lee affirmed that his administration would honor the agreements signed between Korea and Japan prior to his presidency. He specifically cited accords related to wartime sex slavery and forced labor, signed during the Park Geun-hye and Yoon Suk Yeol administrations, respectively. Lee emphasized that such agreements represent government-to-government commitments and warned that reversing them would benefit no one.

Lee is right. Promises made between sovereign governments — whether in the form of agreements, accords or treaties — must be upheld regardless of changes in political leadership. Any attempt to walk back international commitments unilaterally undermines national credibility and damages the country’s global reputation.

The recent Seoul-Tokyo summit sent a reassuring message: Korea can be a consistent and reliable partner, unaffected by domestic political shifts. This positive momentum must continue throughout Lee’s tenure. He has made his commitment clear. Now, he must follow through.