Page 187 - Trilateral Korea Japan U.S. Cooperation

Introduction

This chapter reflects on two recent and important
developments pertaining to security on the Korean Peninsula.
From a U.S. perspective, one is positive and one is negative.
The positive development relates to the vast improvement in
trilateral relations among the United States, Japan, and South
Korea. The institutionalization of trilateral relations and
the broadened scope of cooperation since the August 2023
Camp David Summit involving U.S. President Joe Biden,
South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol, and Japanese Prime
Minister Fumio Kishida is unprecedented.

The negative development relates to the budding relationship
between North Korea and Russia, which features new military
cooperation between these longtime neighbors. While
cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow is not new, for
the first time in recent memory, North Korea appears to be the
one that enjoys leverage. In the past, North Korea was always
the supplicant.

When combined with China’s strategic rise and the long-
standing relationship between Pyongyang and Beijing, this
“unholy alliance” presents new challenges for Washington,
Seoul, and Tokyo. This paper offers some suggestions on how
the three allies can respond to these challenges.

Chapter Eleven : The Meaning of Camp David and the New Unholy Alliance 187