Korea, India discuss expanding arms cooperation in first defense talks in 7 years SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back discussed ways to expand defense and defense industry cooperation with his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh in Seoul on Wednesday, the Defense Ministry said. During the meeting at the ministry’s headquarters in Seoul, the two ministers agreed to further broaden cooperation in defense and arms industry fields, building on the “joint strategic vision” adopted at last month’s summit between the leaders of the two countries. On defense industry cooperation, the two sides positively assessed past achievements, including exports of K9 self-propelled howitzers to India, and agreed to continue expanding cooperation. The two countries also signed agreements to support more practical cooperation in areas such as cybersecurity, U.N. peacekeeping operations and exchanges between their national defense universities. Ahn explained South Korea’s consistent efforts to restore inter-Korean trust and resume dialogue with North Korea for peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula, while asking for India’s continued support. The meeting was arranged after Ahn invited Singh to South Korea during the 12th ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus last year. It marked the first visit by an Indian defense minister to South Korea since 2019. Separately, Lee Yong-cheol, head of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, met Singh to discuss defense industry cooperation and held the Korea-India Defense Forum. “The K9 self-propelled howitzer is a representative success story of Korea-India defense industry cooperation,” Lee said, expressing hope that the two countries would continue expanding cooperation not only in ongoing projects but also across a broader range of weapons systems. The two sides also discussed the launch of the Korea-India Defense Innovation Platform, or KIND-X, aimed at accelerating defense cooperation in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and unmanned aerial vehicles. Hanwha Aerospace and Hanwha Systems each signed memorandums of understanding with Larsen & Toubro, India’s leading defense company, in the presence of Lee and Singh. 2026-05-20 18:13:02

S. Korea pushes nuclear submarine plan, but fuel supply remains key hurdle SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - South Korea’s long-running ambition to deploy nuclear-powered submarines has gained fresh momentum as Seoul and Washington move to implement security agreements reached at their latest summit, though securing nuclear fuel remains the project’s biggest obstacle. The challenge facing the program is no longer simply whether South Korea can build or acquire nuclear-powered submarines, but how it would fuel them. According to data submitted by the Ministry of National Defense on Wednesday, the Navy recently filed a formal request with the Joint Chiefs of Staff for the acquisition of Korean nuclear-powered submarines. The request marks the first step in South Korea’s weapons acquisition process, under which the military formally outlines operational requirements, deployment concepts, the number of units needed and the projected timeline for a new weapons system. The Navy confirmed it had “made a formal request related to the construction of nuclear-powered submarines,” but declined to disclose details. The Joint Chiefs of Staff is reviewing the proposal and is expected to make a decision as early as this month through a formal meeting. Diplomatic coordination between Seoul and Washington is also accelerating. A senior U.S. delegation led by the under secretary of state for political affairs is expected to visit South Korea within weeks as the allies activate a bilateral working group formed after last year’s summit agreements. The nuclear-powered submarine project has long been a strategic objective for South Korea’s military, dating back to the administration of former President Kim Young-sam. The initiative has repeatedly advanced and stalled under successive governments. During a summit held on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit last October, U.S. President Donald Trump and President Lee Jae Myung reportedly reached broad agreements on trade and security cooperation, including deeper discussions on strategic naval capabilities. Military authorities have reportedly considered acquiring at least four nuclear-powered submarines with a displacement of 5,000 tons or more after the mid-2030s, though the size and number of vessels may have changed during internal reviews. The central issue, however, remains nuclear fuel. During a visit to Seoul in April, Rafael Grossi said South Korea would require a separate safeguards arrangement with the International Atomic Energy Agency if it proceeds with nuclear-powered submarines. Grossi noted that nuclear material used in such vessels is “not continuously accessible to inspectors” because of the operational nature of submarine reactors. Because nuclear-powered submarines rely on onboard reactors, securing enriched uranium or other nuclear fuel is essential. If South Korea seeks to produce such fuel domestically or obtain related materials or technology from the United States, separate bilateral negotiations and institutional arrangements would likely be required. Reuters reported last December that South Korea’s push for nuclear-powered submarines could mark the end of “decades of U.S. resistance,” while also warning that the move could trigger an underwater arms race in Asia. The U.S. think tank Pacific Forum has also noted that the South Korea-U.S. nuclear cooperation agreement is focused primarily on civilian nuclear energy. Any transfer of naval nuclear fuel or related technologies could require revisions to the agreement, potentially sparking political debate in Washington. Suh Kune-yull, a professor of nuclear engineering at Seoul National University, said nuclear-powered submarines do not necessarily require highly enriched uranium. “When we talk about enrichment, people usually think of highly enriched uranium with more than 20 percent uranium-235, but nuclear-powered submarines do not necessarily have to use that level of fuel,” Suh said. “It is technically possible to use low-enriched uranium of around 5 percent, similar to the fuel used in nuclear power plants, and France and China are known to operate nuclear-powered submarines based on low-enriched uranium,” he added. The government is pushing to unveil a basic development plan for Korean nuclear-powered submarines by the end of this month. The blueprint is expected to outline Seoul’s principles on acquiring such vessels, construction plans and its stance on nuclear nonproliferation. But whether the initiative evolves beyond a political declaration into a practical roadmap may ultimately depend on how clearly Seoul addresses the question of nuclear fuel supply. 2026-05-20 17:44:42

AWS' annual tech expo in Seoul showcases agentic AI, robotics innovations SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - The annual tech expo hosted by Amazon Web Services (AWS) kicked off at COEX in southern Seoul on Wednesday, offering a space to experience the latest agentic artificial intelligence (AI) and physical AI technologies. The two-day AWS Summit Seoul brought together companies from various industries including beauty, media, manufacturing, security and robotics, showcasing their AI solutions, drawing more than 50,000 pre-registrations and about 6,000 on-site attendees. Among the highlights are diverse attractions and hands-on experiences including autonomous delivery robots that transport goods on demand, quadruped robots, gripper robots that autonomously recognize and sort types of waste, and AI-powered skin diagnostics. 2026-05-20 17:40:04

S. Korea tanker exits Strait of Hormuz after talks with Iran amid regional conflict SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - The first South Korean-operated oil tanker stranded inside the Strait of Hormuz since the outbreak of war between the United States and Iran in late February safely exited the strategic waterway Wednesday following negotiations between Seoul and Tehran, the foreign ministry said. The vessel, operated by HMM, was passing through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday afternoon under coordination with Iranian authorities, according to the ministry. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun also confirmed the passage during a parliamentary session earlier in the day. “At this very moment, our tanker is leaving the Strait of Hormuz through consultations with the Iranian side,” Cho told the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee. Cho said the ship began sailing Tuesday after discussions with Iranian authorities and was proceeding “very cautiously” through the route. He also referred to “2 million barrels,” apparently indicating the volume of crude oil loaded on the tanker. Ship-tracking data from MarineTraffic and reports from Bloomberg identified the vessel as the Universal Winner, an HMM-operated crude oil tanker owned by the same company as the Namoo, which was recently struck in the region. The tanker, which had remained in waters near Qatar, began moving on June 19 along a route designated by Iranian authorities. The foreign ministry said neither the South Korean government nor the shipping company had paid tolls or compensation to Iran in exchange for the vessel’s passage. Seoul also maintained that Iran’s decision to allow the tanker through the strait was unrelated to the recent attack on the Namoo. The government said the transit became possible after Seoul repeatedly requested safe passage for South Korean-linked vessels while maintaining diplomatic coordination with Tehran through four phone conversations between the two countries’ foreign ministers and the dispatch of a special envoy. Iran informed the South Korean Embassy in Tehran late Monday that passage through the strait would be permitted, the ministry said. The notification came a day after Cho held talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and requested clarification regarding the attack on the Namoo. The South Korean government is continuing negotiations with Tehran to secure the passage of 25 remaining South Korean-linked vessels still inside the Strait of Hormuz. Officials are reportedly prioritizing ships carrying large numbers of South Korean crew members or cargo considered strategically important to South Korea. Iran has requested that vessels use routes designated by Iranian authorities, though some shipping companies remain concerned over potential security risks and possible U.S. sanctions. The United States Department of the Treasury previously issued an advisory warning that shipping firms and vessels engaging in transactions with Iran related to safe passage through the strait could face sanctions. South Korea’s foreign ministry, however, said it believes the U.S. advisory does not apply to government-level negotiations and does not expect the tanker that exited the strait to become subject to sanctions. 2026-05-20 17:35:40

Seoul and Tokyo equities fall, Asian currencies and debt tumble on inflation fears SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - Seoul and Tokyo bourses extended losses in a broad Asian retreat as investors moved past AI euphoria toward a reality check on the economic toll of prolonged Gulf conflicts and renewed inflation fears. The benchmark KOSPI fell 0.86 percent to close at 7,208.95 after swinging between an intraday high of 7,324.52 and a low of 7,053.84. Foreign investors sold a net 2.9293 trillion won ($1.94 billion) worth of shares, while retail and institutional investors bought 1.7106 trillion won and 1.1053 trillion won, respectively. Large-cap technology shares showed mixed performances. Shares of Samsung Electronics edged up 0.18 percent to 276,000 won even after government-mediated wage talks with its labor union collapsed ahead of a planned general strike Thursday. The Central Labor Relations Commission officially declared its second mediation attempt unsuccessful Wednesday morning after the two sides failed to narrow differences over compensation for workers in loss-making semiconductor units, including System LSI and foundry operations. The union confirmed it would proceed with the strike as planned. President Lee Jae Myung appeared to indirectly criticize the union during a Cabinet meeting Wednesday, saying labor rights were not granted “to enforce the interests of a few through collective force.” The government has previously signaled it could invoke emergency arbitration powers should the strike materially disrupt the national economy. SK hynix closed flat at 1,745,000 won. Shipbuilding shares outperformed the broader market, buoyed by expectations that rising data center-related electricity demand would boost orders for power engines and related infrastructure. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries surged 6.35 percent to 636,000 won. Elsewhere on the KOSPI, losses were widespread. Mirae Asset Securities fell 6.63 percent to 62,000 won, while LG Electronics dropped 5.58 percent to 181,000 won. POSCO Holdings declined 5.33 percent to 417,000 won, while Korea Electric Power slid 5.49 percent to 37,000 won. Doosan Enerbility lost 4.43 percent to 101,300 won, while Doosan Robotics fell 4.6 percent to 95,500 won after a second large block sale of PRS-linked shares worth about 537.6 billion won. Naver retreated 3.33 percent to 191,500 won. The tech-heavy KOSDAQ dropped 2.61 percent to close at 1,056.07 after moving between an intraday high of 1,081.04 and a low of 1,038.23. Foreign investors bought a net 194.2 billion won worth of KOSDAQ shares, while retail and institutional investors sold 57.7 billion won and 130.7 billion won, respectively. High-valuation growth shares came under renewed pressure as rising global bond yields reduced investor appetite for risk assets. AI robotics, secondary-battery and biotech shares led the decline, with robotics-related names extending recent losses amid broader weakness in AI-linked sectors. Among KOSDAQ heavyweights, Alteogen fell 1.91 percent to 359,500 won, while Ecopro dropped 2.38 percent to 118,700 won. Ecopro BM slipped 3.12 percent to 176,700 won, while HLB declined 3.84 percent to 47,600 won. Samchundang Pharm plunged 5.06 percent to 347,000 won, while ABL Bio and Kolon TissueGene each lost 5.1 percent. The Korean won strengthened slightly, with the dollar trading at 1,506.30 won, down 0.1 percent from the previous session. Asian markets also closed broadly lower. Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 1.23 percent to 59,804.41, while China’s Shanghai Composite slipped 0.18 percent to 4,162.18. The selloff was driven by a sharp rise in long-term U.S. Treasury yields, with the 30-year yield briefly topping 5.18 percent, its highest level since 2007. The Japanese government bonds hit levels not seen in nearly three decades. 2026-05-20 17:29:42

CJ Group seeks police probe over leak of female employees' personal data SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - CJ Group filed a complaint with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency over the leak of personal information belonging to about 330 female employees via a Telegram channel, in the latest in a string of data security breaches rattling corporate Korea. The disclosed material the group revealed on Wednesday included mobile phone numbers, internal extensions, job titles and profile photographs, all of which matched current and former staff records, the company said. The Telegram channel, opened in 2023 and followed by about 2,800 users, surfaced over the weekend and prompted an internal probe pointing to a likely insider leak rather than an external hack, given that some of the exposed fields could only be retrieved through CJ's intranet. "We will cooperate fully with the police investigation," a CJ Group spokesperson said, adding that affected employees had been notified individually and that the company was taking steps to prevent secondary harm. The breach does not meet the threshold for mandatory reporting to the Personal Information Protection Commission, the company said, as it involves fewer than 1,000 people and does not include resident registration numbers or other sensitive identifiers. Even so, the incident has drawn fresh scrutiny because the leaked photographs and contact details target female staff exclusively, raising the prospect of stalking, harassment and other downstream abuse. The CJ leak lands amid a punishing run of cyber and data incidents at South Korean conglomerates. Shinsegae Group's IT affiliate disclosed in late December that malware had compromised the records of about 80,000 employees, including staff numbers and, for some, names, departments and IP addresses, through the group's intranet. Days later, Korean Air said about 30,000 employee records, including names and bank account numbers, were exposed when Korean Air C&D Services, a catering supplier spun off from the airline in 2020, was breached by an external hacker group. Mobile carriers SK Telecom and KT also came under government investigation last year, with the SK Telecom breach exposing internal data tied to roughly 27 million users. 2026-05-20 17:19:55

Two-week-long campaigning for local elections set to begin Thursday SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - The official campaign period for next month's local elections is set to begin on Thursday, as the ruling Democratic Party (DP) and the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) prepare to launch full-scale campaigning across the country in an already-heated race. According to the National Election Commission (NEC) on Wednesday, candidates and their supporters will be allowed to actively canvass at the stroke of midnight and will have about two weeks to win over voters until the eve of election day slated for June 3. During the period, they will be allowed to give speeches in public places between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., distribute campaign materials and put up campaign banners. Meanwhile, voters can cast their ballots from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. at designated polling stations across the country to elect about 4,000 metropolitan mayors, provincial governors, and other local government heads. South Korean citizens aged 18 or older or those born on or before June 4, 2008, are eligible to vote. Two-day early voting will also be available on May 29 and 30 for those who are unable to vote on election day. South Koreans residing overseas will also be allowed to vote at polling stations set up at diplomatic missions abroad, provided they register for absentee voting in advance. Foreigners living in South Korea are also eligible to vote if they are 18 or older and have held permanent residency for more than three years. The upcoming local elections are widely seen in effect as a midterm referendum on President Lee Jae Myung, marking his first nationwide gauge of public support since taking office last June following the ouster of disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol over his botched Dec. 3 declaration of martial law in 2024, although the already-faltering PPP, plagued by internal disputes, appears headed for a resounding defeat. 2026-05-20 17:18:58

'More time on paperwork than artwork': Bureaucratic hurdles haunt Korean artists SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - In South Korea, artists must prove they are artists before qualifying for public grants, and many complain the opaque and exhausting certification process has become a bureaucratic ordeal that leaves them spending more time on paperwork than artwork. Artist Certification falls under the Korea Artists Welfare Foundation (KAWF), an agency under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. It is effectively required to apply for government aid, public grants and welfare programs. The system was born out of two tragedies. On Nov. 6, 2010, Lee Jin-won of the one-man indie band “Rock Will Never Die (Moonlight Fairy Grand Slam)” was found dead at his home in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. On Jan. 29, 2011, screenwriter Choi Go-eun was found dead in Anyang. Both were respected figures in the indie music and film industries but suffered severe financial hardship due to unfair contract structures and irregular income. Their deaths led to the enforcement of the Artist Welfare Act on Nov. 18, 2012, followed by the establishment of the Korea Artists Welfare Foundation the next day as a minimum social safety net for struggling artists. But many artists say the benefits have fallen far short of that mission. Controversy erupted in late March when the famous indie band “Broccoli, You Too?” failed the Artist Career Verification screening. The band took to X to express frustration, revealing that it had submitted records of royalty payments from album releases only to receive a “disqualified” notice. At the time, the foundation explained that it evaluates the “continuity of activities” rather than an artist’s fame alone. However, the band had released a full-length album and performed dozens of concerts throughout 2025, while its appearance on KBS’s “Open Concert” had been confirmed just days before the rejection notice. Following the controversy, complaints from artists across multiple disciplines poured out. Many argued that guidance on the system remains insufficient and inconsistent. Painter and contemporary artist Jung So-hee was one of them. It took Jung more than two years to pass the Artist Certification screening. Despite a career spanning over 20 exhibitions, her applications were repeatedly rejected or returned for supplementary documentation until she finally received approval this year. “I had to spend more energy writing reports to prove I am an artist than on my actual creative work,” Jung said. Jung said she still has little confidence she would pass again if she reapplied for the same project because she has never been clearly informed why she ultimately succeeded. Installation artist Shin Yun-jung applied four times, only to be rejected each time. “It was difficult to prepare because the criteria for qualitative screening were unclear,” Shin said. “Even when I tried to infer from other artists’ experiences, the standards kept changing.” The lengthy review process has also become a major source of frustration. Artists including Jung and Shin said they waited between three and six months for re-evaluation results. A stage director, who requested anonymity, recalled receiving a “disqualified” notice while traveling from a logistics center job to a theater rehearsal. “It felt hollow after waiting for four months,” he said. Outdated screening criteria have also come under criticism. Painter A pointed out that participating in “art fairs” — auction-style exhibitions — is not recognized as professional artistic activity. “The fastest way to build a relationship with a gallery and hold a solo exhibition is to pay to participate in an art fair,” a painter, who also requested anonymity, explained. Despite submitting years of consecutive participation in a major local art fair, she was told the experience could not be counted. “It makes no sense that even mega-fairs like KIAF or Frieze, which the First Lady has visited, cannot be counted because they aren’t ‘solo exhibitions,’” she added. As dissatisfaction grew, a “Task Force Seminar on Artist Career Verification” was held on April 22 at the National Assembly Members’ Hall, hosted by Rep. Son Sol of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee. Attendees criticized what they described as a lack of communication and transparency in the deliberation process. “We aren’t asking to lower the threshold blindly; we are asking for clear reasons and standards for rejection,” said installation artist Lee Seung-hyun. Calls for transparency in the review process also continued throughout the seminar. Oh Se-gon, a stage actor who participated in the original task force that helped design the Artist Career Verification system, argued that “it must be clearly revealed who the committee members are and whether there were offline discussions and debate processes.” Critics also pointed to overseas examples. In the case of Arts Council England, active artists evaluate the eligibility of fellow artists for welfare services, and the identities of reviewers as well as approval and rejection outcomes are disclosed transparently. This stands in contrast to the KAWF system, where even the professions and age groups of review committee members are not easily disclosed. The government and the foundation offered their own explanations. Kim Ga-jin, head of the planning and coordination team at the Korea Artists Welfare Foundation, said during the seminar that the foundation must verify three things: whether art is the applicant’s primary occupation, whether the output can be objectively verified through documentation and whether the work has been consumed or distributed publicly. Regarding delays, the foundation cited a shortage of personnel. As of March 2026, just five full-time and five contract employees were responsible for processing applications from more than 43,000 people. The foundation further argued that the review process has become more time-consuming because of concerns that public funds could flow to cases unrelated to genuine creative activity, especially as generative AI and hobby-based creations continue to blur the boundaries of artistic work. Officials said a “request-based” system requiring a certain level of career history and supporting evidence remains necessary as a minimum verification mechanism. Some European countries such as Germany and France have also faced criticism over the scale of artist welfare spending because such programs are closely tied to broader social security systems. While recognizing artistic activity itself as labor has expanded the social safety net for artists, concerns have also steadily grown that the boundaries of eligibility could become too broad. Yet many artists say the foundation’s explanations remain contradictory. One frequently cited example is the “Artist Activity Savings Account” project launched last year. Despite the claimed shortage of reviewers, applications for the program closed in less than half a day on Feb. 4, 2026, under a first-come, first-served system. The use of individual rather than household income standards also sparked criticism. “People receiving financial support from a spouse or parents without earning a penny can be selected without filtering, while artists who must work for a living are put at a disadvantage,” said an indie film director, who requested anonymity after being rejected under the criteria. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s total budget for this year stands at approximately 7.85 trillion won ($5.33 billion), up 11.2 percent from last year. The Korea Artists Welfare Foundation directly administers 117.6 billion won, while an estimated 200 billion won is tied to artist verification-related support programs. Yet many artists argue that where and how the money is ultimately spent remains opaque. Artists interviewed for this story agreed that public funding can only function properly if officials at both the foundation and the ministry develop a deeper understanding of artists and the broader creative ecosystem. “There needs to be a broader effort to research and understand the actual creative activities of artists,” Jung emphasized. “I am eager to ask whether the current standards are truly for artists who dedicate themselves solely to creation.” “The current application method is more preoccupied with ‘where and with whom you exhibit’ rather than ‘what kind of work you do,’” Shin said. “This structure is absolutely advantageous for those who can afford rental fees — in other words, those who do not need the welfare system.” 2026-05-20 16:45:33

Samsung Live: Labor minister steps onto the mound to save talks and stop strike SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) -With a nationwide strike at Samsung Electronics just hours away, South Korean Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon on Wednesday personally stepped into wage negotiations after government-mediated arbitration collapsed, underscoring mounting fears in Seoul that a prolonged walkout could destabilize the semiconductor industry at the center of the global AI boom. The Ministry of Employment and Labor said Kim would directly oversee renewed talks between Samsung management and the union beginning at 4 p.m. at the Gyeonggi Regional Labor Office, in what officials described as an extraordinary attempt to keep dialogue alive after the National Labor Relations Commission failed to broker a compromise. The minister-led negotiations differ from the commission’s formal post-mediation process and are not intended to produce a legally binding settlement. Instead, the government is seeking to pressure both sides back into voluntary negotiations as concerns grow that the planned 18-day strike could disrupt chip production, exports and investor confidence by flagging an extraordinary authority to disallow a strike in an industrial site should it cause serious damage to national economy. Samsung and the union participated in a second round of post-mediation talks from May 18 but failed to narrow differences over key issues including the distribution formula for performance-based bonuses across business divisions. The labor commission proposed a compromise package balancing both sides’ positions. While the union accepted the proposal, Samsung management withheld a final decision, prompting the commission to declare the mediation unsuccessful. The collapse of negotiations intensified speculation that the government could invoke emergency arbitration powers, a rarely used authority allowing Seoul to suspend strikes and force compulsory mediation in industries deemed critical to the national economy. Labor Ministry spokesperson Hong Kyung-eui said the government would continue supporting labor-management talks “without being bound by formalities” but cautioned that it was “premature” to comment specifically on the possible invocation of emergency arbitration powers. 2026-05-20 16:22:11

ASIA INSIGHT: Can South Korea and Japan turn shuttle diplomacy into substantive cooperation? SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - South Korea and Japan have long had a relationship that goes back and forth, sometimes improving, sometimes worsening, and then improving again. This cycle has been driven not only by practical interests, but also by historical issues between the two neighboring countries. But a quieter shift now seems to be taking place. It is not marked by dramatic breakthroughs or major progress on long-standing historical disputes. Instead, it is more gradual, built on the steady rebuilding of trust through frequent exchanges including an unusual new practice in which leaders meet not only in their capitals, but also in each other's hometowns. At a summit between President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi held in Andong, a historic city in southern South Korea on Tuesday, the leaders reflected on a pattern that would have been hard to imagine just a few years ago. Just four months earlier, they had met in Nara, Takaichi's hometown. Now the visit was reciprocated in Lee's hometown. The symbolism was deliberate. By stepping outside the formal setting of traditional diplomacy and into places tied to personal memory, both sides are signaling a desire to humanize a relationship that has long been shaped by historical resentment and mutual misunderstanding. Yet symbolism alone does not define this moment. What gives this phase of bilateral relations its potential significance is the steady accumulation of practical agreements beneath the formal, ceremonial meetings. Among them is a long-delayed effort to address remains recovered from Japan's Chosei coal mine, where DNA identification procedures are finally set to begin. The issue, long marked by emotional and historical weight, is being approached through humanitarian cooperation rather than political contestation. It is a small but telling example, showing that even the most painful historical issues can sometimes be worked through when both sides are willing to cooperate and share responsibility. Police agencies from both countries also signed an agreement to jointly tackle transnational crime and scam networks, which have become increasingly sophisticated and borderless. In an era when fraud is often run across multiple countries and digital platforms, and both sides seem to recognize that older ways of cooperating simply are not enough anymore. Economic cooperation is now driven by practical needs. Both South Korea and Japan rely heavily on imported energy, and with global markets becoming increasingly unstable, neither country can afford to go it alone. The two countries are now exploring ways to coordinate, including sharing crude oil and petroleum reserves and jointly purchasing liquefied natural gas. These are not symbolic gestures, but practical arrangements that could help shield both economies when the next external shock would come. At the same time, the two leaders recognized that regional stability cannot be separated from their bilateral relationship. The prolonged conflict in the Middle East, which began with joint U.S. and Israeli airstrikes against Iran in late February, has showed how distant conflicts can quickly translate into domestic economic vulnerability, including disruptions to global supply chains and risks to key shipping routes such as the Strait of Hormuz. There is also continued emphasis on coordination through broader regional frameworks, including trilateral cooperation with Washington, while keeping channels of dialogue open with North Korea as well as its traditional ally China. Still, the central question remains whether "shuttle diplomacy," a practice of frequent reciprocal visits, can evolve into something more durable than diplomatic routine. There is always a risk that repetition creates comfort without depth, ritual without results. Leaders may visit each other's hometowns, attend cultural events, and issue joint statements, while some key issues remain unresolved. Their next meeting, in this iterative format, is expected to take place at a hot spring resort in Japan, further extending this increasingly personal style of diplomacy and reflecting an effort to turn abstract commitments into more practical mechanisms. Even historical issues, often the most intractable, are being approached through narrower, more manageable paths. Whether this evolving model can endure will depend on how it holds up when political climates change. Shuttle diplomacy can open doors, but it does not guarantee that domestic politics in either country will remain aligned. Security crises, contentious historical issues and other disputes could still persist. For now, at least, a quieter shift is taking shape. 2026-05-20 15:53:23