Page 169 - Trilateral Korea Japan U.S. Cooperation

Then about two months later, Ambassador Xing said, “What
can be said with certainty is that those who bet on China’s
defeat will surely regret it later,” during a meeting with South
Korean opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-Myung
at the Chinese embassy in Seoul on April 8th, 2023.

Against this backdrop, this paper examines the prospects for a
North Korea-China-Russia partnership based on the outcome
of the September 13 Kim-Putin summit and China’s response.
Particularly, China’s response is expected to be a crucial factor
in predicting the potential emergence of an alignment among
the South Korea-U.S.-Japan versus North Korea-China-
Russia in Northeast Asia, within the context of the U.S.-
China strategic competition. The goal of this paper is to offer
suggestions for further development of South Korea-U.S.-
Japan cooperation for peace and stability in Northeast Asia
by deterring Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile threats and
dissuading China from backing the Kim Jong-Un regime’s
hostile behavior.

This paper will also analyze the global implications of recent
U.S.-China re-engagement, despite intensifying strategic
competition. There are various views among South Korean
experts on the future of the North Korea-China-Russia
3
partnership. While it is possible that this trilateral partnership
4
is developing and will be a serious regional security threat,

3 Jang Ye-ji. “In triangular relationship with China and Russia, N. Korea’s geopolitical value is on the rise, says
expert” The Hankyoreh (February 28, 2024).
4 Bruce Bennett. “North Korea, Russia and China: The developing Trilateral Imperialist Partnership” Rand
(September 13, 2023).

Chapter Ten : The Stability and Sustainability of South Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation 169