The United States between Japan and Korea: Keeping Alliances Strong in East Asia

Abstract

Japan and the Republic of Korea are the United States’ two most important allies in East Asia. Although U.S. alliances with those countries have succeeded in maintaining peace and stability in Northeast Asia, it is not clear how effective they would prove to be should they be tested by a major incident originating, say,in North Korea, because South Korea-Japan relations are troublesome. The issues that divide these two countries, based on strong and long-standing emotional attitudes that are resistant to change, largely revolve around Korean perceptions that the Japanese have not sufficiently recognized and apologized for past aggression against their neighbors during the first half of the twentieth century. For its part, the United States can improve trilateral relations by avoiding foreign policy decisions that make other countries nervous, such as decisions based on the principle of preemptive attack. A resumption of trilateral security dialogue is also needed. The U.S. alliances with Japan and South Korea must be preserved to keep the peace in Northeast Asia, and it is important that politicians and government officials in Korea and Japan adopt a strategic view and not let emotional issues stand in the way of pursuing the best interests of their respective governments.