South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (right) and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi pose for a commemorative photo at Horyu-ji Temple, a major cultural heritage site in Nara Prefecture, Japan, on Jan, 14. (Yonhap)


As tensions between China and Japan appear set to continue, concern 바다신2 다운로드 s are growing that South Korea-Japan "shuttle diplomacy" may face mounting pressure, with its sustainability increasingly put to the test, analysts said Tuesday.
Shuttle diplomacy, which in 릴게임골드몽 the Korean context refers to reciprocal bilateral visits by national leaders, has recently regained momentum as South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi met last 백경게임 week in the historic Japanese city of Nara.
The two leaders agreed to advance what Seoul described as a “future-oriented, stable relationship” through continued leader-level exchanges, whil 야마토통기계 e seeking progress on unresolved historical disputes.
Even so, analysts caution that broader regional dynamics, particularly worsening China-Japan relations, could complicate the sustainabil 모바일야마토 ity of Seoul’s shuttle diplomacy with Tokyo.
In a Tuesday report titled “The Korea-Japan Summit and the Sustainability of Shuttle Diplomacy,” Joo Dong-jin, a research fellow at the state-affiliated National Institute for Security Strategy, described shuttle diplomacy as “a diplomatic mechanism that reduces volatility in bilateral relations by regularizing leader-level consultation and communication.” At the same time, he warned that it “can face constraints at any time depending on shifts in the regional geopolitical environment.”
Joo assessed the current regional landscape as one in which both favorable and unfavorable conditions for shuttle diplomacy coexist. While South Korea has secured a degree of strategic autonomy by holding consecutive summits with both China and Japan amid US-China rivalry and China-Japan tensions, he said it was unclear whether it could be sustained.
In particular, the prolonged nature of China-Japan tensions was identified as a key threat to the durability of Korea-Japan shuttle diplomacy.
Repeated Japanese statements related to Taiwan, coupled with China’s responses, could increase the risk of South Korea being forced into unwanted strategic choices. China’s apparent interest in driving a wedge between Korea and Japan adds to the risk, Joo added.
Domestic factors could also weigh on sustainability. Issues such as the sovereignty over Dokdo, and other unresolved historical disputes and differing strategic perceptions toward the United States and China could resurface at any time, potentially turning shuttle diplomacy itself into a political burden, the report warned.
Korea-Japan relations could also be sidelined if Washington adopts a more transactional approach during a renewed phase of US-China diplomacy. Such a scenario — sometimes referred to as “Korea-Japan passing” — could quickly erode diplomatic gains, Joo said.
To mitigate these risks, Joo called for a clear management strategy, urging Seoul to maintain a neutral stance on China-Japan tensions while pursuing a balanced approach that advances both Korea-US-Japan cooperation and Korea-China-Japan cooperation. He stressed the need for a consistent, pragmatic diplomatic posture grounded in strategic autonomy.
“Shuttle diplomacy is not an end in itself, but a means of managing national interests under regional geopolitical pressure,” Joo said. “Rather than assuming its continuity as a given, it should be recognized as a diplomatic asset that requires active management and coordination.”
Similar caution was echoed by Leif-Eric Easley, a professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University, who said Seoul should be realistic about the limits of its diplomatic role.
“By traveling to China and Japan for summits in quick succession, Lee is playing an important role in advancing diplomacy in Northeast Asia,” Easley said. “However, it is not realistic for Seoul to act as a mediator between Beijing and Tokyo.”
Easley cautioned that South Koreans did not want to become collateral damage in what he described as Beijing’s pressure campaign over Tokyo’s stance on Taiwan.
“It is better for Lee to pragmatically pursue productive relations with all neighbors while speaking up for the principle that no actor should unilaterally change the status quo in the region by force,” he said.
China-Japan tensions intensified in November last year after Prime Minister Takaichi said during a parliamentary session that Japan could exercise its right to self-defense in the event of a contingency involving Taiwan. China strongly protested the remarks, calling them interference in its internal affairs and a crossing of a “red line.”
Beyond diplomatic warnings, Beijing has imposed export controls on certain strategic materials, including rare earth elements and dual-use civilian-military items. Diplomatic observers widely believe the tensions are unlikely to ease in the short term unless the remarks are retracted — a development seen as improbable.
As regional pressures mount, analysts say the future of Korea-Japan shuttle diplomacy will depend less on the frequency of summits and more on Seoul’s ability to calibrate distance, manage crises and make strategic choices amid intensifying geopolitical competition.
Against the backdrop of Nara’s ancient landmarks — symbols of early cultural exchange between the two countries — both leaders stressed the need to look beyond lingering grievances rooted in modern history. Lee said he hoped “Korea and Japan will move forward together toward a new shared future” despite ongoing challenges, underscoring the importance of cooperation in an increasingly volatile global environment.
“In this complex and unsettled international order, we must move toward a new and better situation, and that is why Korea-Japan cooperation is more important than ever,” Lee told Takaichi.