How Trump is inadvertently bringing Japan, South Korea together

How Trump is inadvertently bringing Japan, South Korea together

From Asia - South China Morning Post

May 2, 2026

About this episode

The episode discusses how Japan and South Korea are strengthening their ties in response to regional challenges posed by China and North Korea, amid uncertainties regarding US commitments under President Trump.

Japan and South Korea are closing ranks as they prepare for high-level meetings aimed at steadying ties amid growing regional volatility, with analysts saying the diplomatic push reflects shared concern over China, North Korea and the reliability of US commitments under President Donald Trump. Both countries appear willing to put past differences aside, at least for now, as they confront an assertive China and an unpredictable US administration that has unsettled long-standing allies and...

Topics covered

  • diplomacy
  • Japan
  • South Korea
  • China
  • North Korea
  • US relations

Keywords

  • Japan
  • South Korea
  • Trump
  • China
  • North Korea
  • diplomatic relations
  • regional volatility

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Japan, South Korea, China, North Korea

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