Abstract
The strengthening Sino–Russian defense partnership has complicated ROK–U.S. military planning regarding North Korea, diverted U.S. and Japanese resources from concentrating against North Korea, and worsened the regional security environment by stimulating local arms races. Beijing and Moscow’s vigorous opposition to the deployment of advanced U.S. missile defenses in South Korea has illuminated their perception of increased ROK–U.S. military ties as a potential threat. Further, China and Russia’s military activities around the Korean Peninsula increase the risk of inadvertent encounters with other navies. South Korea, Japan, and the United States need to consider how China and Russia will react in such cases. Additionally, because the expanding Sino–Russian defense cooperation and technology sharing complicates assessments of military developments and security trends in Asia, it is imperative to hold expanded ROK–U.S. consultations, about Sino–Russian defense interactions, ideally with the inclusion of Japan.