JAPAN: SOUTH KOREA-Lee: Japan 'Indispensable Partner' For Econ Ahead Of Visit

Ahead of his 23-24 August visit to Japan, his first since taking office in June, South Korea's President Lee Jae-mying called Japan an "indispensable partner" for economic growth. This came while delivering the president's annual speech marking the end of Japan's colonial occupation of the Korean peninsula in 1945. 15 August is a date fraught with historical sensitivities, marking 'Liberation Day' in South (and North) Korea, and Memorial Day for the End of the War in Japan. 

• In a notable comment, Japanese PM Shigeru Ishiba, delivering the head of gov'ts annual 15 August address, utilised the word "remorse" when talking about Japan's conduct in the war. This was picked up by both Japanese and South Korean media, given it was the first time in 13 years that a Japanese PM had used that term in the 15 August speech.
• The day has not passed without incident, with Japanese Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and former Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi (among other ministers and senior politicians) attending memorial events at the Yasukuni Shrine. As Reuters notes, "Japan's Asian neighbours view [the shrine] as a symbol of its wartime aggression." The South Korean gov't expressed its "deep disappointment and regret" at the officials' attendance.
• Notably, Koizumi and Takaichi are viewed as the frontrunners to succeed Ishiba should he be forced from office following the poor performance of the governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)in recent upper house elections. Attending the shrine could be viewed as an effort to enhance their conservative credentials as the LDP loses support to the right-wing nationalist Sanseito party.