In recent years, South Korea and Japan have hardly missed an opportunity to make each other's lives politically difficult.
Now, after the change of government in Seoul, it looks like a fresh start.
It's long overdue.
In recent years, there has been a lack of goodwill, especially in South Korea.
Japanese sins from the past, undisputed in substance, were exploited in a way that even in South Korea was not universally accepted, which is saying something.
There is a risk of confiscation
The rapprochement that is now hopefully getting under way is the logical reaction to the world political situation, which is characterized by the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and the uncertainty about China's further action in East Asia.
The participation of both countries as guests at the NATO summit was just as logical.
An official meeting between South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is imminent.
So one could be optimistic if it weren't for the legal dispute over compensation payments for Korean forced laborers in Japanese companies during the colonial era.
These companies are threatened with confiscation of assets.
It is up to the government in Seoul to find a politically viable solution here while preserving the independence of the courts.