Japan, S Korea leaders' mutual visits key to balanced diplomacy

Both nations are democracies and allied with the United States. That doesn't make them "puppets" any more than the EU, UK, Canada or Australia.

I makes sense for the two countries to work together for their common prosperity, and even for their very survival. They are surrounded by increasingly aggressive dictatorships; China, North Korea, and Russia.

Both are US puppets of sorts.

This all hangs on the Yoon administration's ability to quell it's political opponents who are using anti-JPN sentiment against him. And that sentiment is being perpetuated by the lawyers and activists who have made it their livlihood. Good luck to President Yoon!