Prospects for security cooperation among South Korea, the United States, and Japan: Power, Limits, and Desirable Approach

The trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the United States, and Japan has recently become one of the main agendas in the U.S.-South Korea and Japan-U.S. dialogue. In particular, the U.S. wants to expand security cooperation among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan beyond dealing with North Korea's nuclear issue to the solidarity to address a strategic competition between the U.S. and China and a "democracy vs. autocracy" triggered by the Ukraine War. However, there are practical limitations to South Korea-U.S.-Japan security cooperation. First, the deterioration of Korea-Japan relations is the weakest link. Second, there is a lack of urgency and sincerity between South Korea and Japan to pursue trilateral cooperation. Third, there is fear of China's backlash and retaliation. Therefore, for the development of South Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation, it is necessary to (1) start with limited cooperation with clear goals and gradually pursue comprehensive cooperation (2) develop common countermeasures for checks and balances from certain neighboring countries, and (3) seek a speedy recovery and development of bilateral relations between South Korea and Japan.