New East Asia Foundation paper explores the future of Japan-South Korea relations

The Japan-South Korea relationship has been bogged down by disputes over historical perceptions and territorial claims. But the root cause of the impasse is the structural changes in the domestic political processes in the two countries as well as the international balance of power in East Asia. Post-Cold War democratization ironically allowed relative minority groups to have disproportionate influence, causing resonance effects between the two countries. The retreat of American influence and the rise of China have caused a divergence in the strategic interests of the two countries, with Japan focusing on southwestern maritime security while South Korea focuses more on the stability of North Korea. In order to improve the bilateral relationship between Japan and South Korea, we need to start by recognizing these fundamental shifts in the political and strategic environment from the Cold War era.
Full text at the East Asia Foundation web-site