South Korean leader urges robust security collaboration with US, Japan.
The South Korean leader calls for stronger cooperation with the United States and Japan
In his Liberation Day speech on Aug. 15, President Yoon Suk-yeol emphasized the need for enhanced collaboration with the United States and Japan to counter North Korea’s growing nuclear threats. He described the upcoming summit with the U.S. and Japanese leaders at Camp David as a significant milestone in their trilateral cooperation.
“The significance of ROK-U.S.-Japan trilateral security cooperation is increasingly growing on the Korean Peninsula and in the region,” Mr. Yoon said, referring to South Korea’s official name, the Republic of Korea.
President Joe Biden will host Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Mr. Yoon for a summit at Camp David on Aug. 18. The purpose of the summit is to discuss ”expanding trilateral cooperation across the Indo-Pacific and beyond,” according to the White House.
This will be the first time the three leaders gather specifically for a trilateral summit, highlighting the importance of their collaboration. U.S. officials have indicated that they will announce plans for expanded military cooperation on ballistic missile defense and technology development.
In his speech, Mr. Yoon emphasized the need for the three allied nations to ”closely cooperate on reconnaissance assets and share North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missiles data in real-time.”
South Korea and Japan Pursue Common Interests
Mr. Yoon’s speech commemorated the 78th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japan’s colonial rule in 1945. Unlike past South Korean presidents who used Liberation Day speeches to demand fresh apologies from Japan for its colonial wrongdoing, Mr. Yoon focused on the importance of improved ties with Japan.
Highlighting the strategic value of Japan, Mr. Yoon stated, “The seven rear bases provided to the United Nations Command (UNC) by the government of Japan serve as the greatest deterrent, which keeps the North from invading the South.”
“A renewed North Korean invasion will trigger an automatic and immediate intervention and retaliation by the UNC, and the UNC rear in Japan is sufficiently equipped with necessary land, sea, and air capabilities,” Mr. Yoon said.
Mr. Yoon referred to Japan as a partner with whom South Korea shares “universal values and pursues common interests.” He emphasized that the two countries, as security and economic partners, can contribute to global peace and prosperity through future-oriented collaboration and exchange.
Japan and South Korea have previously declared the “complete” normalization of their military intelligence-sharing pact to counter North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats. In June, the defense chiefs of the United States, Japan, and South Korea agreed to launch a data-sharing mechanism by the end of the year.
“The specific details and the timing of the operational launch are still being worked out, but we will make every effort to achieve this at the earliest possible time,” Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada told reporters.
North Korea’s continuous testing of various weapons, including nuclear-capable missiles, has heightened tensions with South Korea and the United States. These missiles pose a threat to both South Korea and Japan, and potentially even the United States.
Mimi Nguyen Ly and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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