At historic summit between Japan and South Korea, Trump’s presence looms large

Tokyo, Japan —

History was made this weekend.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung made his first overseas trip for bilateral diplomacy, with stops in both Washington DC and Tokyo. But unlike his predecessors, Lee didn’t visit the United States first. Instead, his first stop was Japan — South Korea’s former colonizer.

But what stood out most from this summit wasn’t what was signed. It was the shared smiles and warm words between the two leaders.

“This is our second meeting, and I feel as if we are close friends,” South Korea’s Lee said about his Japanese counterpart.

The striking shift in tone — from enmity to friendliness — is impossible to ignore.

Japan’s colonial occupation of Korea, which lasted over three decades in the first half of the 20th century, has long cast a shadow ov