SNA (Tokyo) — Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has been honored, together with South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol, with a John F. Kennedy “Profile in Courage Award,” despite the fact that he personally has been unwilling to take any political risks to improve Japan-South Korea relations.

Former US Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy, daughter of the late US president, explained that the award had been bestowed because “these two leaders have put aside the easy path and reached across differences despite strong domestic opposition and upcoming elections to form a relationship of trust.”

While it is certainly true that Yoon has reversed many of Seoul’s previous stances on the requirements for reconciliation with Japan, Kishida has not altered any of the hardline diplomatic positions instituted by the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, which has included an effort to downplay or even deny Japanese war crimes in the early 20th century. The recent improvement in government-to-government relations has been entirely driven by concessions from Seoul with no significant effort on the part of Tokyo to take any responsibility for past abuses of Koreans.

It is universally understood by analysts from diverse ideological perspectives that the US Biden administration been working behind the scenes to bring Japan and South Korea together. This was best symbolized by the trilateral summit held in August at Camp David, Maryland.

US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel has been one of the most outspoken in celebration of the award, writing that he is “thrilled to see Prime Minister Kishida and President Yoon honored with the JFK Profile in Courage Award. Both leaders have made impressive strides in enhancing the relationship between their countries and cementing their trilateral relationship with the United States. The Camp David Summit, led by President Biden, was a historic turning point, showcasing their global leadership, vision, and courage.”

Several progressive analysts criticized the award. For example, Satoko Norimatsu, director of the Peace Philosophy Centre, retorted: “Courage? For sure they had the nerve to slap the victims for the sake of war preparation with the United States.”

This article was originally published on November 6, 2023, in the “Japan and the World” newsletter. Become a Shingetsu News supporter on Patreon and receive the newsletter by email each Monday morning.