Japan’s Takaichi steps back from Liancourt Rocks pledge in sign of softer line on South Korea

2026-02-18 - 01:36

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will not send a cabinet minister to an annual ceremony calling for the return of the Liancourt Rocks – known as Takeshima in Japan and Dokdo in South Korea – stepping back from an earlier pledge and signalling a softer touch towards Seoul. Analysts say the decision not to dispatch a senior minister to the event reflects a pragmatic effort to steady Japan-South Korea ties, even if it leaves some of her most conservative supporters “very...