The latest public opinion poll from the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, a Seoul-based think tank, shows that South Korea is becoming more realistic but not less anxious. The old assumptions that shaped South Korean foreign policy for decades are changing. Public views of Japan are improving. Trust in the United States remains strong, despite skepticism toward President Donald Trump. At the same time, South Koreans believe the country must prepare itself for a world that is more dangerous, less stable and less predictable. The clearest shift is seen in the South Korean public’s attitude toward Japan. Japan’s favorability rating rose to 5.11 out of 10, the first time it has moved above the midpoint and the highest level ever recorded in the survey. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was also the most favorably viewed foreign leader, ranking above Trump. That would have been hard to imagine a decade ago. It suggests that many South Koreans are increasingly willing to treat Japan not only as a historical problem, but as a present-day strategic partner. This does not mean historica
