Japan cautiously welcomes South Korean president-elect

Japan’s government is welcoming the election of a new president in South Korea who supports stronger ties with Washington and Tokyo, as officials and experts express hope for an improvement in badly strained relations

TOKYO -- Japan's government on Thursday welcomed the election of a new president in South Korea who supports stronger ties with Washington and Tokyo, as officials and experts expressed hope for an improvement in badly strained relations.

Yoon Suk Yeol, a conservative former top prosecutor and foreign policy neophyte, was elected president on Wednesday to replace outgoing liberal Moon Jae-in, under whose leadership bilateral relations sank to their lowest level in years because of disputes over wartime history.

“Japan-South Korea relations are in a very severe condition, and we cannot leave them as they are,” Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters Thursday.

“Healthy ties between Japan and South Korea are indispensable for the peace, stability and prosperity of the world,” especially as it faces difficulties such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine, he said. “Cooperation among Japan, the United States and South Korea is also important.”