South Korea’s anger over Japanese mine event clouds efforts to deepen security ties

“This is a blow to the Yoon administration, which has worked hard to mend ties with Tokyo despite facing political backlash,” said Cho Byung-jae, a veteran diplomat and former head of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy.

“At a time when Yoon’s approval ratings are low, this diplomatic misstep could further hinder progress in relations with Tokyo and trilateral security cooperation with the United States,” Cho told This Week in Asia.

Critics argue that Japan mishandled the memorial, failing to acknowledge Korean labourers were forced to work at the Sado mine during its colonial rule of the Korean peninsula (1910–1945).