In a highly choreographed two-day visit to South Korea, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met with President Yoon Suk-yeol, addressing symbolic and practical matters to mend the frayed ties between Seoul and Tokyo. But the leaders carefully sidestepped politically charged and sensitive topics, signaling that challenges still lie ahead.

Kishida’s visit to Seoul took place a mere two months after Yoon’s trip to Tokyo, which followed Seoul’s decision to compensate Korean victims of Japanese wartime forced labor without the participation of Japanese firms. The swift timing of the visit surprised many observers, especially considering Japan’s preparations to host the upcoming G-7 summit.