South Korea stresses rising 'geopolitical risks,' expresses hope for fresh Seoul-Tokyo ties

"Geopolitical risks are intensifying worldwide, economic and trade uncertainties are growing, and international relations are rapidly shifting," Choi told an event to mark the 106th anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement against the Japanese colonial rule, the Seoul-based Yonhap News reported.

South Korea’s acting president, speaking on behalf of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, said that to “effectively respond” to the “grave international situation,” Tokyo-Seoul cooperation is “essential.”

The acting president said “shadows of conflict and division are growing darker” in the East Asian nation, reportedly referring to the weeks of protests and the growing divide between Yoon's supporters and opponents.

The National Assembly had voted overwhelmingly to remove Yoon from office on Dec.14, 2024 over his short-lived martial law decree on Dec. 3.

Choi as an answer to the nation’s crisis such as divisions, including ideological, generational, regional, and class-based, emphasized the importance of “national unity” to overcome them.

Japan colonized the Korean Peninsula for decades until World War II before vacating the region, which left the peninsula divided with the US siding with the South, where it has over 28,500 soldiers deployed since the 1953 Korean War, which ended in a truce.