South Korea And Japan’s Expanding Technological Cooperation

On May 15th, 2023 South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol met with Japanese business leaders in Seoul and openly called for expanded technology cooperation. The meeting was led by former chairman of the board of Japan’s Mitsubishi Corporation and head of the Japan-Korea Economic Association, Mikio Sasaki. Yoon has met twice with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in recent weeks, signaling active objectives of overcoming the historical atrocities that have afflicted the relationship between the counties for decades and strengthening multilateral collaboration in response to shared geopolitical challenges. 

“Mutually complementary cooperation is possible between South Korean companies, which possess excellent manufacturing technologies, and Japanese companies, which are highly competitive in materials, components and equipment,” Yoon stated at the meeting. Focusing on the potential for business cooperation, Yoon referenced building more resilient supply chains as a key element in broader efforts to improve relations. 

Expanding technological cooperation in this way is a great way forward for South Korea and Japan. Partnerships in this capacity can foster an environment not only for technological and scientific advancements, but also build amicable relations on multiple levels. Overcoming their historical grievances is quite a feat, but this move is undoubtedly an indicator of forward, peaceful progress. Expanding networks of communication through technology can act as a remarkable gateway to the further establishment of diplomatic tendencies between Japan and South Korea, in addition to their other relationships in the region.

Cooperation between Japan and South Korea continues to be affected by the lurking shadow of Japan’s colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945. In 2019, Japan strengthened its export controls on materials required by South Korean companies, causing South Korea to file a complaint with the World Trade Organization. As a result, the two countries each lowered the other’s trade status and diplomatic ties regressed. Yoon and Kishida, however, met in March, and South Korea has since withdrawn its complaint while Japan has removed the export controls. Moreover, South Korea has restored Japan to its list of preferred trading partners and Japan will likely be following in South Korea’s footsteps to do the same. 

Although it is too early to definitively predict the outcomes of the technological partnership between Japan and South Korea, it appears to be quite promising. Yoon and Kishida’s efforts to increase technological collaboration appear to be making multidimensional strides in the way of repairing the taut relationship of the two countries. There is a clear opportunity for not only further technological development between two innovation trailblazers, but the strengthening of diplomacy between countries who have struggled with maintaining an amicable relationship in the past. As each country progresses, they should continue to strive to foster amicable bonds in this way.

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