Abstract
A new security environment in Northeast Asia is calling for fresh thinking and changes in terms of the security policies of the Republic of Korea, the US, and Japan. Especially, a series of provocations by North Korea in 2010 and a new assertiveness manifested in the rise of China provide a rationale for closer defense cooperation among the three countries. A bolstered trilateral defense arrangement among the ROK, the US, and Japan could provide the best platform to deter further provocations from the North, and to prepare for potential instabilities in the current power succession inside North Korea. At the same time, tighter trilateral defense cooperation can deter China’s one-sided support of North Korea in its efforts to relate to future provocations by the North. It also puts indirect pressure on Beijing to hold Pyongyang accountable for its hostile actions. Given the asymmetric threats from the North, in particular, trilateral naval cooperation in the future should be focused on the following three categories: sea-borne Missile Defense (MD) and Proliferation Strategy Initiative (PSI), Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), and, Mine Warfare (MIW), and preparation for contingencies in North Korea. Furthermore, the three navies should put more efforts behind regional maritime security activities, such as HA/DR and anti-piracy. In doing so, the three navies also should try to engage China in these efforts because the future of maritime security of the region depends on how to engage China in the international security system. Doing so is also a way to contribute to the building of multilateral cooperative mechanism for maritime security in the region.
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