Abstract

China's Sino-centrism and expansionism, the U.S. America First policy, Russia’s Neo-Eastern policy and North Korea’s incessant adventurism pose ongoing security challenges to the Northeast Asian region. Within this turbulent global and regional strategic environment, ROK-Japan security cooperation is essential to the stability and peace in the Western Pacific, the Korean Peninsula, and the world as a whole. But there is still an onslaught of issues complicating security cooperation between the two countries, including historical legacies such as the comfort women issue, territorial disputes, mutual distrust, ambivalent national interests, and distorted political and social relations. Despite these difficulties, ROK-Japan can improve military-military cooperation by the professionalism of each national defense. This paper aims to examine the current realities of security and military cooperation between the Republic of Korea and Japan in the ever-changing turbulent strategic environment of the 21st century. It also works to explore potential strategies and policies so as to enhance cooperative security relations between the two countries.

Quotes from the Paper

“It is imperative for Japan and the ROK to jointly face the North Korean threats of nuclear tests and missile launches, the possible sudden collapse of North Korea, reunification, the East and South China Sea disputes, the Taiwan Strait, cyber security, terrorism, natural disasters, and others.”

“We, both sides, have our challenges in improving and bolstering security cooperation between our two countries, and it will likely take time. However, in reality, we may be nearly out of time, and therefore we should make better security cooperation a priority. The authors believe that the ROK and Japan can improve military-military cooperation with the professionalism of the national defense sector of each country.”

“We recommend ongoing security cooperation ranging from high-level defense cooperation to lower-level military exchanges be established and institutionalized so as to be shielded from the political situation…In particular, political and social relations between Japan and Korea should not impact military security cooperation and exchanges. The effectiveness of such cooperation should be periodically reviewed and re-evaluated so that areas for improvement can be identified and cooperation deepened.”

Author
Dr. Chung is Adjunct Professor at the Graduate School of International Studies, Hanyang University. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Maryland. Dr. Chung graduated from the Korea Military Academy. He also received Master in Military Art and Science from the U.S. Army Command & General Staff College. He taught international security at the Korea National Defense University and the Catholic University of Korea. Dr. Chung was a policy practitioner at the ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff and Combined Forces Command as well as troop commander along the Demilitarized Zone, and a Policy Advisor for the National Security Council and the Ministry of National Defense. He published Security Challenge and Determination toward a Unified Korea (2017), Korean Centripetal Foreign and Security Policy (2014) and “Realities and Strategies in Managing North Korea’s Nuclear Challenge,” China Quarterly of International Strategic Studies, Vol.2, No.4 (Winter 2016). Areas of his research are ROK-U.S. military relations, North Korea military strategy, multilateral security and conflict management.

Lt Gen (Ret.) Izumi is Independent Scholar in Japan. He received his Master in National and International Security in National War College/the U.S. National Defense University. He graduated from Japan National Defense Academy. He also graduated from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College in the same year of Dr. Chung. After his having retired from the service, he was once an advisor of TOYOTA Motor Corporation. Lt Gen (Ret.) Izumi was Vice Chief of Japan Joint Staff and Director of J3 Operations/Joint Staff as well as Field Army, Division and troop commanders all over Japan, and a supporting officer in Japan’s Embassy in Cambodia for Japan’s Engineer Contingent and UNMOs of UNTAC, which is Japan’s first UN PKO deployment. He presented his paper entitled “In searching of Building a North-South Korean Community through security and economic linkage strategy and international cooperation from Japanese perspective” at the international seminar (Oct. 2013). He has also proactively participated in finalizing Power Politics and Cooperation on the Korean Peninsula: Reflections and Architecture as Dr. Chung’s co-author in the one and half year. Areas of his research are Japan-U.S. defense relations, international defense strategy, multilateral security and conflict management.