Washington | Seoul | Tokyo | When Yoon Suk Yeol this week commemorated his country’s 1945 independence from Japan, the South Korean president didn’t dwell on the brutal 35-year occupation his people endured under their neighbour.
Instead, the 62-year-old leader, too young to remember the humiliations of Japanese rule, celebrated the country as a “partner” that now shares the same values and interests. Facing nuclear threats from North Korea – a constant worry for both Seoul and Tokyo – Mr Yoon reserved his condemnation for “Communist aggression”.
