Biden hopes to tighten S. Korean, Japanese bond at Camp David
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When Yoon Suk Yeol this week commemorated his country’s 1945 independence from Japan, the South Korean president didn’t dwell on the brutal 35-year occupation his people endured under their neighbour.
Instead, the 62-year-old leader, too young to remember the humiliations of Japanese rule, celebrated the country as a “partner” that now shares the same values and interests. Facing nuclear threats from North Korea – a constant worry for both Seoul and Tokyo – Yoon reserved his condemnation for “Communist aggression.
“The Biden administration believes that a seismic but fragile realignment is underway in East Asia: a deeper relationship between two close U.S. allies with a long history of mutual acrimony and distrust.
The change would accelerate Washington’s effort to counter China’s influence in the region and help it defend Taiwan.U.S. President Joe Biden hopes to cement those ties with a summit at Camp David, the storied presidential retreat in Maryland’s Catoctin Mountains, this Friday.While the summit is unlikely to produce a formal security arrangement that commits the nations to each others’ defense, they will agree to a mutual understanding about regional responsibilities.
