A new trilateral opinion survey shows a majority of Japanese respondents hold negative views of South Korea even as local sentiment toward Japan reaches historic highs, underscoring the fragility of the bilateral thaw and the risks posed by Tokyo’s deepening political uncertainty.

According to the Aug. 28 poll by the East Asia Institute (EAI), the Asia Pacific Initiative (API) and the Korea Economic Institute (KEI), 51% of Japanese respondents expressed unfavorable views of South Korea, while only 24.8% reported favorable views. This marks the first time in a decade that a majority of Japanese respondents reported negative sentiment.

In contrast,