The year 2025 marks the eightieth anniversary of the end of World War II and the sixtieth anniversary of Korea-Japan diplomatic normalization, making it an opportune time to reflect upon these two historical moments. In 1945, the world brought a calamitous fighting to a close and opened a new era of calm and stability. In 1965, leaders of Japan and Korea closed a chapter on their colonial past to start a new one as sovereign neighbors. These historical junctures represented a new beginning that did not only lift the nations from the old conflicts but also embedded them in lasting tensions. As the world faces a multitude of changes and uncertainties this year, the symposium brings together leading scholars on and of the region to take a critical look at the past and to better understand the historical continuities and new possibilities.