Top Highlights

• Yoon’s decision to prioritize Japanese–South Korean ties despite weak domestic support, matched by Kishida’s pragmatic approach to Korean affairs, has helped dramatically repair the Tokyo-Seoul leg of the relationship.
• Similarly, Kishida’s weak approval ratings and speculation about the timing of a snap election may also place limits on the potential for making progress should “Korea fatigue” once again take over in Japan
• Japan and South Korea want to see the United States keep its promises: maintaining a “small yard, high fence”; “friend shoring” when it comes to supply chains; and consulting with allies.
• Seoul has navigated its relationship with Beijing more cautiously than either Washington or Tokyo, given the geographic proximity and relatively larger economic stakes in its relations with China.
• Through a network of alliances and institutions, the Biden administration believes it can extend its influence and legitimacy and ultimately sustain a rules-based order despite geostrategic competition with China.

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