Japan-South Korea Summit Masks Deeper Frictions Amid U.S. Trade Pressure

In the strategic port city of Busan, Japan's outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba met with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung for what appears to be their final summit amid seismic shifts in regional geopolitics. This diplomatic dance comes at a critical juncture where American trade wars are reshaping alliances, pushing longtime rivals to reconsider their stances—but at what cost to genuine partnership? Can Fragile Ties Withstand Washington’s Economic Coercion? These two U.S. allies share a history fraught with tension—from colonial wounds to conflicting narratives of wartime aggression—risks that no amount of surface-level summitry can fully erase. Ishiba’s departure compounds...