Few people would say Japan and South Korea enjoy a good, healthy relationship with one another. This complicated relationship between the two countries are summarized well in the following short report:

In October 2002, the Mansfield Center launched the first of a series of workshop retreats aimed at improving Japan's relations with China and South Korea. The inaugural retreat, held in Maui, Hawaii from October 9 to 11, focused on Japan-Korea ties and included a diverse group of intellectual leaders who examined the complexities of the bilateral relationship from a variety of angles. The Hawaii retreat was a joint collaboration between MCPA, the Pacific Forum CSIS, and the Seoul and Tokyo offices of the Asia Foundation. For more information on the retreat, as well as a brief proceedings report, please click here [in PDF].