South Korea, United States and Japan should leverage Taiwan to influence China on North: U.S. scholar

A U.S. think tank scholar called on South Korea, the United States and Japan to leverage the Taiwan issue to encourage China to address North Korea's security threats more proactively.

South Korean Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho, fifth from left, U.S. Ambassador Philip Goldberg, fourth from left, and Japanese Ambassador Koichi Mizushima, sixth from left, pose for a commemorative photo with other attendees at an academic forum on Wednesday at the Korea Press Center in central Seoul, marking the South Korea-U.S.-Japan Summit‘s anniversary and the Aug. 15 Unification Doctrine. [YONHAP]

A U.S. think tank scholar called on South Korea, the United States and Japan to leverage the Taiwan issue to encourage China to address North Korea’s security threats more proactively.

“Standing firm against the security challenges posed by North Korea requires more than just the necessary strengthening of trilateral security cooperation,” said Ralph Cossa, president emeritus of the Pacific Forum at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, during a keynote speech at a academic conference held in Seoul on Wednesday to mark the first anniversary of the South Korea-U.S.-Japan Summit and the announcement of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s Aug. 15 Unification Doctrine.

The forum, hosted by South Korea’s Unification Ministry and the National Research Council for Economics, Humanities and Social Studies, commemorated the Aug. 18, 2023, trilateral summit between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan, often called the Camp David summit.

During the summit in Camp David, Maryland, the leaders reinforced their commitment to a “free and open Indo-Pacific” and highlighted their security cooperation against North Korean threats.

Cossa emphasized the need to persuade China to stop supporting North Korea and to prevent the repatriation of North Korean defectors.

He argued that each of the three countries has “unexplored or underutilized leverage” in dealing with China, citing Taiwan as an example. He suggested that China’s sensitivity to the Taiwan issue, due to its “One China” principle, could be used to pressure Beijing into changing its policy toward Pyongyang.

“This past year, Taiwan had more direct foreign investment in Southeast Asia than in China, a major shift driven by both economic and political considerations,” Cossa said, urging Japanese and Korean businesses to follow this trend.

He also warned that the outcome of the upcoming U.S. presidential election could lead to a “major change” in alliance management strategies and policies.

“There is a growing sense of urgency behind the need to institutionalize this trilateral effort,” Cossa said.

Cossa further recommended that officials and scholars from South Korea, China and the United States engage in discussions about the future of a unified Korean Peninsula that ensures security and stability for all involved parties.

South Korea’s Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho reaffirmed the “solid consensus” among South Korea, the U.S. and Japan on the need for the complete denuclearization of North Korea regardless of who is elected in the U.S. presidential election scheduled in November.

“Recently, there has been much speculation about the policies of U.S. presidential candidates,” Kim said in his welcoming remarks. “We believe that cooperation among the three countries for the denuclearization of North Korea, along with a strong response to North Korea’s provocations, will remain unchanged regardless of changes in political leadership.”

From left, Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida take a walk together after their trilateral summit at Camp David in Maryland on Aug. 18. [YONHAP]

Kim’s remarks come amid concerns about the potential deprioritization of denuclearization under the next U.S. administration following the removal of related language from the platforms of both the Democratic and Republican parties.

The unification minister expressed his belief that the three countries would continue working together toward their shared global security and prosperity goals despite potential challenges.

Reflecting on the outcomes of the Camp David summit, Kim described it as the “golden tower of valued diplomacy” pursued by President Yoon since the normalization of relations between South Korea and Japan and the Washington Declaration.

“Above all, the security cooperation between the three countries has solidified their roles as peacekeepers and peacemakers, safeguarding peace and stability in Northeast Asia, the Indo-Pacific region and the world,” Kim said.

The unification minister dismissed concerns about a potential new Cold War in Northeast Asia, asserting that the trilateral partnership is a “solidarity of values” that promotes security and prosperity for the people of each country, the region and the world.

“The strong security ties between the three countries are not comparable to those of the Cold War Bloc or North Korea, China and Russia relations,” he added.

U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg also emphasized the importance of continuing and institutionalizing the trilateral partnership, describing the past year of engagements as “only the beginning” and urging all parties to “seek all opportunities to advance our interests together at every level” in his congratulatory remarks.

In a subsequent session, Kim Jae-chun, a professor of International Relations at Sogang University, highlighted the need for long-term endurance in trilateral security cooperation.

He cautioned that institutionalization alone might not ensure durability, particularly if populist leaders rise to power in any of the three countries.

“Institutionalization is a necessary condition, that’s for sure, but it is not a sufficient condition in my personal opinion,” the professor said. “I think it’s very important for each country to try to build stronger public support for this trilateral cooperation.”

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]