U.S., Japan and South Korea to reveal new joint defenses against Chinese and North Korean missiles
Increasing military cooperation between Japan and South Korea reflect what U.S. officials say is a dramatic improvement in relations after years of strain stemming from Japan’s colonial occupation of Korea.
WASHINGTON — The U.S., Japan and South Korea plan to announce groundbreaking steps to bolster mutual security ties at a summit this week in Maryland, including sharing intelligence about ballistic missile threats from North Korea and China and holding regular joint military exercises, senior Biden administration officials said.
The unprecedented moves reflect what U.S. officials and analysts say is a dramatic improvement in relations between Tokyo and Seoul after years of strained ties stemming from Japan’s colonial occupation of Korea. A shared concern over China’s aggressive actions in the region and North Korea’s growing missile arsenal has fueled a historic rapprochement that experts believe could usher in a new era for all three countries.
“This is a real breakthrough,” said Michael Auslin, a distinguished fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution.
Friday’s summit, with President Joe Biden hosting Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at the presidential retreat at Camp David, Maryland, marks the first standalone meeting among the three countries. Previous meetings have been held on the margins of large multilateral conferences. It is also the first time foreign leaders have visited Camp David since 2015.
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