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integration with the U.S. for the alliance. Creating a
stronger link between the U.S.-South Korea and U.S.-Japan
33
alliances at a higher level is an important step.

• Trilateral Integrated Deterrence: The U.S., South Korea,
and Japan should form a “golden shield.” Recent active
military cooperation among the three has become
institutionalized and has expanded into various cooperation
dimensions, increasing integration; this is in line with the
U.S. “Integrated Deterrence” concept, which multiplies
deterrence by extending beyond the region to connect with
NATO and others.

Policy Suggestions

Even though strategic objectives and enabler identification
have already highlighted important tasks, concentrating
efforts on a number of policy tasks is required for both North
Korea-China strategic simultaneity and short-term deterrence
against North Korea’s nuclear threats.

• Scenario Development: The development of various scenarios
is essential for handling complex and unpredictable

32 Daryl G. Press, “The Deliberate Employment of U.S. Nuclear Weapons: Escalation Triggers on the Korean
Peninsula.” Journal for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament, Vol.5, No.S1 (2022).
33 Hanbyeol Sohn, “Tasks Ahead for the Nuclear Consultative Group,” The Peninsula (May 16, 2023), https://
keia.org/the-peninsula/tasks-ahead-for-the-nuclear-consultative-group/; “The Future of the Indo-Pacific as
Envisioned at Camp David: A Korean Perspective,” (September 6, 2023), https://keia.org/the-peninsula/the-
future-of-the-indo-pacific-as-envisioned-at-camp-david-a-korean-perspective/.

Chapter Two : North Korea’s Nuclear Threat and China’s Backing for North Korea 47