Korea needs a forward-looking response to US-Japan military cooperation

The U.S. and Japan have agreed to revise the joint defense guidelines for military cooperation in the world ranging from peace time to armed conflicts in case of emergency. As the revision reflects the exercise of collective self-defense which Japan tolerated through the reinterpretation of its constitution last year, Japan has become a powerful partner to “combat” alongside with the U.S. This is likely to bring a new paradigm shift in the security of the Korean peninsula and Asia.

U.S. State Secretary John Kerry said in a U.S.-Japan joint press conference that this was a “historic transition.” In an implicit reference to China, Kerry said, “We reject any suggestion that freedom of navigation, overflight and other unlawful uses of the sea and airspace are privileges granted by big states to small ones.” It is also possible that Korea’s strategic value could decrease because of China’s rise and Japan’s normalization in the U.S. rebalancing strategy.

Military cooperation between the two nations, which share values of democracy and market economy, could contribute to resolving global conflicts. Some see that it could increase deterrence against North Korea that makes nuclear threats. It is hard to deny that only South Korea and China oppose Japan’s collective self-defense with the U.S. As some claim that the revision of the U.S.-Japan military guidelines indicates the failure of Korea’s foreign diplomacy, the Korean foreign ministry argued that it is an excessive and wrong interpretation. It said that it has delivered the message that the issues that affect Korea’s national security and interests cannot be done without Korea’s consent or request.

However, requests that are not backed by power and diplomacy have its limits. Moreover, Japan has conflicts with Korea as the Abe administration refuses to take responsibility for the colonial rule and invasion of Korea. Some express concerns that the sovereignty dispute over Dokdo islets could escalate into a conflict between the Korea-U.S. alliance and the U.S.-Japan alliance.

U.S. President Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Abe had a summit on Tuesday and announced a U.S.-Japan joint vision statement stressing “powerful alliance.” If Korea continues to turn its face away from Japan, Korea’s strategic value could diminish. The Korean foreign affairs and security team needs to think seriously about a comprehensive security strategy responding to changes in the power dynamics of neighboring countries in a forward-looking manner.