REPORT: Reinvesting in U.S.-Japan-ROK Relations
Reinvesting in U.S.-Japan-ROK Strategic Relations
An NCAFP Emerging Leaders Report
February 1, 2021
In November 2020, the NCAFP assembled an Emerging Leaders Working Group of ten next-generation scholars and experts from the U.S., ROK and Japan to consider opportunities for and challenges to trilateral relations. Despite a shared desire to maintain peace and stability in Northeast Asia, trilateral cooperation is at a historic low point resulting from differing threat perceptions and policy approaches toward China and North Korea, lingering anxieties over a U.S. bottom-line approach to alliances, and the reemergence of history issues and strategic mistrust in bilateral ROK-Japan relations.
Members of the Working Group shared a variety of opinions on the way forward for trilateral cooperation and co-authored this NCAFP report on “Reinvesting in U.S.-Japan-Republic of Korea Strategic Relations: A Practical Trilateral Agenda.” The report focuses on policy recommendations for how to manage mistrust and advance common goals, and also addresses key features of the current domestic, regional and bilateral political and security environment.
The NCAFP is grateful to the following organizations for their support of this project:
Carnegie Corporation of New York
Henry Luce Foundation
Korea Foundation
John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation