28 April 2015

South Korea’s Weak Hand in Pressing Japan on the War

By ALASTAIR GALE
Apr 27, 2015

South Korean President Park Geun-hye still refuses to meet Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in a bilateral summit until Tokyo makes a new offer to resolve a dispute over Korean women forced to work as prostitutes for the Japanese military. In this photo, U.S. President Barack Obama hosts a three-way meeting with the Asian leaders in the Hague, Netherlands in March 2014. Associated Press

But Seoul is also increasingly realizing that it’s playing a weak hand in historical disputes with Tokyo.

Part of Seoul’s calculus is an awareness that Washington’s priorities don’t include applying strong pressure on Mr. Abe on matters of history. The U.S. has bigger concerns, specifically coordination to tackle friction with China and a major trade deal.

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