The relationship between South Korea and Japan is marked with historical grievances that until this day create a rift. Over the years there have been attempts in normalization of the relations but the fluctuation continues and the two actors of Northeast Asia are cumbersomely finding common ground. As the current events are unfolding with rise of China and its influence in the region and with increasing threats from North Korea, the two democracies need to cooperate to strengthen regional security. A lot is at stake for both of them, being middle power countries, following rules based system with expanding technical industries it is vital for them to preserve security, to balance the bigger powers and to ensure access to resources. Recently, with new prime ministers, the two called for rapprochement of relations. This policy paper will focus on the problematic aspects of their relations. Following, the solutions for enhancing cooperation and bettering relations will be provided together with their critical assessment.