Image credit: ByoungJoo/Getty Images
September 06, 2023
To secure US-Japan-ROK gains from Camp David, bring South Korea to the Quad
On a warm August afternoon in Virginia, beneath a lush canopy of ash trees, President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, and President Yoon Suk Yeol convened to show the world that their response to adversity is unity. In contrast to the gridlock that has characterized the nadir in Japan-ROK relations since 2018, the Spirit of Camp David charts a course for the US-Japan-ROK trilateral relationship predicated on steadfast alignment in the face of unprecedented threats. Among the summit’s initiatives is a plan to regularize trilateral ballistic missile defense and anti-submarine warfare exercises—a response to North Korea’s record-breaking tempo of provocative missile tests over the past year and a stark reminder of the stakes underpinning the trilateral relationship.
The tenor of Japan-ROK ties habitually fluctuate, but the Quad could bring structural support to the relationship.
Considering the backdrop of a deteriorating security environment in the Indo-Pacific, this turning point is vital to the sustainability of the regional order. However, while the latest round of Japan-ROK rapprochement is promising, it remains fragile, and therefore the progress of the US-Japan-ROK trilateral could unravel, like after similar past breakthroughs. Still, by articulating a common vision and actionable agenda, the United States, Japan, and South Korea are undeniably closer to escaping the well-trod cycle of previous decades. To continue making progress toward a relationship that will survive the next resurgence in Japan-ROK bilateral tensions, additional efforts must both increase the political costs of regression and demonstrate to domestic populations that these relationships can be sources of strength and catalysts for prosperity.
Read the full article from PacNet.
More from CNAS
-
Domestic Politics Threaten Hard-Won Success in East Asia
Commentary
As momentous and historic as the Camp David agreements were, this trilateral grouping is innately and structurally fragile...
By Dr. Duyeon Kim
-
Why Aren’t the Presidential Candidates Debating China?
Commentary
Underestimating the China risk is a longstanding American strategic error....
By David Feith & Gabriel Scheinmann
-
Strengthening the Shield
Reports
In December 2022, Japan’s government released three major strategic documents: the National Security Strategy, the National Defense Strategy, and the Defense Buildup Program. ...
By Jacob Stokes, Lisa Curtis, Joshua Fitt, Lieutenant Colonel Joseph I. Grimm & Rebecca Wittner
-
Dr. Duyeon Kim and the Kim Jong Un-Putin summit
Video
Dr. Duyeon Kim joins BBC News to discuss Kim Jong Un's visit to Russia to meet with Vladimir Putin, and the summit's implications for South Korean security. Watch the full in...
By Dr. Duyeon Kim
