Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s decision to skip this week’s NATO summit, citing the absence of leaders from the bloc’s other Indo-Pacific partners South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, represented a rare example of deference to Seoul and potentially provides an opening to further strengthen ties.

But this opportunity remains fragile and highly conditional due to Ishiba’s uncertain political fate ahead of Japan’s upcoming parliamentary elections, not to mention the domestic challenges facing South Korean President Lee Jae-myung.