Sanae Takaichi, Japan's prime minister and president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, places pins next to the names of candidates who won lower house elections at the LDP headquarters on Feb. 8 in Tokyo. (AP-Yonhap)
South Korea is taking a cautious approach to Japan’s political trajectory following t
릴게임손오공 he ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s landslide election victory, saying it is closely monitoring developments but stopping short of predicting a sharp shift toward conservative or nationalist policies
알라딘릴게임 .
A Foreign Ministry official in Seoul told reporters Thursday that the South Korean government is aware of growing domestic concerns about a possible rightward shift under Japan's Prime Min
바다이야기부활 ister Sanae Takaichi, but noted that Japanese voters were primarily focused on "economic recovery and inflation measures" during the election.
According to the official, who requested anonym
바다이야기5만 ity, international media is also paying close attention to Japan’s future economic policies.
Seoul is also carefully watching developments in Japan’s security policy, added the official.
사이다쿨바다이야기게임“Japan’s defense buildup and moves to ease restrictions on arms exports are issues we cannot ignore,” the official said. “We will continue to closely monitor Japan’s direction.”
The remarks came after Japan's Liberal Democratic Party secured 316 of 465 seats in the lower house, through an election held on Feb. 8. The result has fueled speculation about potential changes to Japan’s postwar security posture, as the party can now independently propose constitutional amendments with its newly gained majority. In particular, concerns have mounted that Tokyo could accelerate efforts to revise Article 9 of its constitution and strengthen defense capabilities.
While Seoul sees limited risk of direct military friction within the framework of Korea-US-Japan security cooperation, officials say Japan’s defense buildup could affect bilateral issues such as historical disputes.
Takaichi, known for her hard-line conservative and nationalist positions even before becoming prime minister, has taken firm stances on issues such as Dokdo and previously expressed willingness to visit Yasukuni Shrine, where convicted Class-A war criminals from World War II are enshrined.
Observers say the pace of efforts to revise Article 9 ? often described as Japan’s “peace constitution” ? will be a key indicator of whether the country is moving in a more conservative and nationalist direction. However, the Foreign Ministry official noted that preelection surveys showed only about 40 percent of voters prioritized constitutional revision, indicating the Tokyo government may proceed cautiously.
The Seoul official also said no specific date has been set for a possible visit by Takaichi, despite speculation she could travel to South Korea before a planned trip to the US next month.
“The direction of continuing shuttle diplomacy between the two leaders has been set, but no concrete dates have been discussed,” the official said.
Separately, the two sides are discussing procedures for DNA identification of remains from victims of the Josei coal mine flooding, a site where Koreans were forced into labor during Japan’s colonial rule. The leaders agreed last month to pursue the identification process, and authorities from both countries are participating.
The Josei coal mine, which suffered a flooding accident in 1942, killed 183 people, including 136 Koreans. A Japanese civic group discovered four sets of remains last August and recently recovered another, while discussions continue over possible joint excavation efforts.
Asked about the possibility of jointly excavating the remains, an official remained cautious, saying it is an option that “needs to be considered,” but that “a joint identification process should come first” before any such steps are pursued.
President Lee Jae Myung congratulated Takaichi on her party’s election victory in a message posted on X earlier this week, expressing hope to welcome her to South Korea soon for the next round of "shuttle diplomacy." Takaichi also said she looked forward to visiting Seoul through such exchanges.
“We hope to see a virtuous cycle continue in South Korea-Japan relations and believe both countries should work toward that," the Seoul official said.
