But President Moon Jae-in, who assumed office in May 2017, claimed that since the agreement did not reflect the victims’ needs, Japan needs to do more to settle the issue. If Abe indeed attends the Winter Games, Japan may get more tourists from South Korea and the South Korean government’s support for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo. What will really improve Tokyo-Seoul ties is not Abe’s attendance at the Winter Games but the talks between Abe and Moon when the former visits Pyeongchang. That’s why Abe accepted Seoul’s offer of attending the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Winter Games. Moreover, Abe needs to show more achievements to the Japanese electorate to stabilise his government.

Source: The Nation Bangkok February 07, 2018 18:00 UTC