Despite early concerns that the arrival of conservative Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo and progressive South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in Seoul could unsettle relations, the two leaders have so far kept alive the rapprochement built by their predecessors.
That alone is not insignificant.
After normalizing ties in 1965, Japan and its erstwhile colony, South Korea, have spent much of the past few decades cycling through historical conflicts, territorial disputes and security mistrust.
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