Former Japan PM Kishida Worried Upheaval in Seoul May Hurt Ties

Kishida formed a warm bond with President Yoon Suk Yeol
Korean opposition head says Japan has “predatory relationship”

Fumio Kishida, right, and Yoon Suk Yeol visit the cenotaph for the victims of the Korean atomic bomb victims in Hiroshima Peace Park in Hiroshima in May 2023.Photographer: Yuichi Yamazaki/AFP/Bloomberg

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By Alastair Gale and Yuki Hagiwara

December 5, 2024 at 8:25 PM EST

Updated on

December 6, 2024 at 1:46 AM EST

Former Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed concern about political upheaval in South Korea undermining progress in bilateral relations.

“Political stability in South Korea is crucial for advancing Japan-South Korea relations,” Kishida said in an interview with Bloomberg on Thursday after a stunning move by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to impose and later revoke martial law.