Overseas experts predict that the successor of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who expressed his gratitude over health problems, will seek to improve relations between Korea and Japan.

The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 29th (local time) in an article analyzing the internal and external challenges of Prime Minister Abe's successor, "Experts say the next Prime Minister of Japan will take steps to resolve the gritty relationship with South Korea." .

Lauren Richardson, who teaches international relations at the National University of Australia, told NYT that the longer the dispute over Korea-Japan disputes over compulsory conscripts and trade wars, "the only winners that benefit from weakening alliances in Northeast Asia are China and North Korea."

"Both Korea and Japan can benefit from the maintenance of the legal order of liberal democracy in the region, and China is strongly resisting this," he said. "However, with the US's weakened regional posture, Korea or Japan There is no way to confront it."

In particular, the U.S. has no room to turn its attention to Asia as it is committed to responding to the November presidential election and the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19).

NYT said that no matter who succeeds Prime Minister Abe, he will face a number of tremendous challenges ▲ suppression of Corona 19 ▲ long-term stagnation of Japanese economy ▲ expansion of China's military power ▲ decision on whether to hold a postponed Tokyo Olympics ▲ US presidential elections, etc.

In the medium to long term, the newspaper predicted that women would face problems such as political participation and employment expansion, work-family balance of male workers, low birthrate and aging, North Korean missile threats, and worsening Korea-Japan relations.

In the meantime, the successor, NYT pointed out, that Prime Minister Abe faces a number of such problems without having the reputation and stature that Prime Minister Abe had built up over eight years in office.

(yunhap news)