Japan–South Korea relations (; ) refers to the diplomatic relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea. As both nations are separated by the Sea of Japan and the Korea Strait, Korean-Japanese interactions have existed since ancient times; the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula acted as a closest entryway for Japan to engage in economic trade and cultural exchange to and from mainland Asia. By 1910, Korea would become a colony of Japan until 1945.
Shortly after gaining independence, Korea was divided into two states. During the Korean War, Japan took part in aiding South Korea by providing military supplies to US and UN forces against the communist-led North Korea.
Japan and South Korea formally established diplomatic relations in December 1965, under the Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea, with Japan recognizing South Korea as the only legitimate government in the Korean peninsula.
Japan and South Korea share many cultural, economic, and military ties. Their economies are respectively the second and fourth largest in Asia, and they are both military allies of the United States. Relations, however, are greatly complicated by a number of issues, including territorial claims on Liancourt Rocks and conflicting views on mutual history.
According to a 2014 BBC World Service poll, 13% of Japanese view South Korea's influence positively, with 37% expressing a negative view, while 15% of South Koreans view Japanese influence positively, with 79% expressing negatively, making South Korea, after China, the country with the second most negative perception of Japan in the world.
In spite of the issues, both South Korea and Japan have taken priorities to work alongside U.S. in countering recent threats from China, Russia, and North Korea. Under the leaderships of South Korean president, Yoon Suk Yeol, and Japanese prime minister, Fumio Kishida, both countries are attempting to restore ties and trust with each other.
History
Between 1961 and 1979, South Korean's head of state was dictator Park Chung-hee, who had served in the Imperial Japanese military during World War II. Park took a strong interest in Japanese modernization since he witnessed development policies in Manchukuo firsthand. After the war, during a private lunch with Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi, one of the masterminds behind the pre-war Manchukuo economy, Park compared his own South Korean military clique with "the young people who succeeded with Meiji restoration in Japan." He further added that he and his troops "look up to these people, and try to make our country escape from poverty and build a wealthy and powerful nation." Under Park's government, the two countries pursued the 1965 reconciliation treaty, which brought about normalized relations, despite considerable public opposition. Park was able to force the normalization through the National Assembly and shut down demonstrations through martial law.
As a result, Tokyo provided $300 million as compensation to comfort women, forced laborers and other victims, and extended an additional $200 million credit to Seoul, and Prime Minister Sato attended official functions in July, the first visit of a Japanese premier to postwar Korea. Nevertheless, Seoul objected strongly to occasional visits by Japanese politicians to North Korea, to the continuation of Red Cross repatriation of Korean residents in Japan to North Korea, and to the proposal of Tokyo Governor Minobe to permit a pro-North Korean university in Tokyo. The Japanese Foreign Ministry opposed Minobe on this issue in order to prove its loyalty to South Korea. Meanwhile, contacts between Japan and South Korea increased through new air routes, tourism, and trade.
In 1975, South Korean–Japanese relations improved following the July "settlement" of a two-year-old feud that began when South Korean agents abducted Kim Dae-jung, an opposition leader (and future President of South Korea), from a Tokyo hotel. As a result of the settlement, a long-delayed ministerial conference was held in Seoul in September to discuss economic cooperation between the two countries. Japan joined the United States in providing assurances for South Korea's security. In a joint statement by Japanese Prime Minister Takeo Miki and U.S. President Ford declared: "The security of the Republic of Korea is ... necessary for peace and security in East Asia, including Japan".