Kwak Yeon-soo is a digital editor at The Korea Times creating, editing and curating digital content for the newspaper’s website, mobile app and social media. She previously covered a diverse array of cultural, political and business topics.
S. Korea, US, Japan advised to strengthen trilateral cooperation framework
Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho, fifth from left, poses with participants of an international conference commemorating the first anniversary of the ROK-U.S.-Japan summit and 8.15 Unification Doctrine at the Korea Press Center in Seoul, Wednesday. The participants include U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg, fourth from left, Japanese Ambassador Koichi Mizushima, third from right, and President Emeritus at Pacific Forum Ralph A. Cossa, right. Yonhap
By Kwak Yeon-soo
Experts urge China to play bigger role in Korean Peninsula issue
South Korea, the U.S., and Japan should institutionalize their trilateral efforts to deter North Korea and discourage China from supporting the Kim Jong-un regime, political analysts said, Wednesday.
Ralph A. Cossa, president emeritus and WSD-Handa chair in peace studies at the Pacific Forum, described the Camp David Declaration as “so far, so good.” However, he noted that the current strategic environment, where Beijing and Moscow are competing to see who can support Pyongyang the most, indicates that much more needs to be done.
Calling North Korea-Russia relations an “unholy alliance,” he raised concerns about the “three versus three” or “zero-sum” alignment in Northeast Asia.
“There is a growing sense of urgency behind the need for institutionalization of trilateral efforts,” Cossa said during an international conference commemorating the first anniversary of the ROK-U.S.-Japan summit and President Yoon Suk Yeol's 8.15 Unification Doctrine in Seoul, Wednesday.
He said the three-way partnership faces a significant test due to several factors. Yoon is limited to a single term and is already being labeled a lame duck following setbacks for his ruling party in parliamentary elections. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is facing uncertain domestic political stability, and the upcoming U.S. presidential elections could lead to changes in alliance management policies.
Cossa called on China to play a bigger role in Korean unification, adding that South Korea, China and the U.S should seek common ground and a long-term vision that might not be seen as ideal to any but would be acceptable to all.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, U.S. President Joe Biden, center, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrive for a press conference during a trilateral summit at Camp David in Maryland, Aug. 18, 2023. AFP-Yonhap
Kim Jae-chun, professor of international relations at Sogang University, said a key future task for the South Korea-U.S.-Japan security cooperation framework is to ensure continuity. This is crucial as North Korea’s strategic value to China and Russia has increased significantly in recent years.
“To garner active support from the (South) Korean public for the trilateral cooperation framework, it is necessary for (South) Korea and Japan to be perceived as equal partners. Amending the (South) Korea-U.S. Nuclear Cooperation Agreement to allow (South) Korea to attain nuclear potential at the same level of Japan could help foster the perception that (South) Korea and Japan are equal partners,” Kim said.
He also stressed the need for a multilateral, lattice-like framework rather than a "hub and spokes" system of bilateral alliances.
“There is also a need to transform the bilateral nuclear agreements between (South) Korea and the U.S. and between the U.S. and Japan into a trilateral nuclear agreement,” Kim said.
David Maxwell, vice president of the Center for Asia Pacific Strategy (CAPS), pointed out that the U.S. did not fully address the goal of a "unified Korean Peninsula that is free and at peace" in the Camp David declaration.
“Americans are myopically concerned with only denuclearization. They think unification is only a Korean problem, which leads them to dismiss all discussions as well as policy and strategy recommendations about unification. This is a strategic weakness for the U.S. and the alliance, especially as South Korea pursues its unification policy,” Maxwell said.
Despite the political uncertainty left by Kishida’s decision to step down, Japan will stay committed to enhancing trilateral cooperation based on the Spirit and Principles of the Camp David declaration, according to an expert.
“Japan, South Korea and the U.S. need to prepare for potential major military provocations by North Korea and possible contingencies on the Korean Peninsula. To address the challenges posed by China, the three countries need to enhance cooperation across a broad range of areas, including the economy, technology, and supply chains,” said Katsuya Tsukamoto, chief of the National Security Policy Division at National Institute for Defense Studies.
“We also need to prepare for possible strategic coordination among North Korea, Russia, and China.”