The Tokyo-Seoul security relations on the North Korean threat: cooperation and limits

Abstract

Japan and South Korea, two important key actors in the Asian region, share important values such as freedom and democracy. Along with these values they also share mutual strategic concerns when it comes to security. For instance, the North Korean nuclear and missile threat represents for both countries a dangerous menace to their national security. Since the end of the Cold War, the two countries have witnessed both phases of cooperation and friction, however, despite common security challenges, cooperation between the two was not always achieved or in some cases it was limited. The main objective of this work is to try to analyze the reasons that have hindered closer security ties in periods when the North Korean provocations were particularly high taking into account the period starting from the post-Cold War era to the present day. This thesis is divided into three chapters. First, it will present a brief historical overview of Japan-Korea relations during the colonization period and the normalization of diplomatic relations which will be useful to better understand the following dynamics between the parties involved. Then, it will analyze the reasons that have discouraged the two countries from accomplishing a certain level of security cooperation. Finally, it will consider the role of the United States, Japan’s and South Korea’s most important ally, in bringing the two countries together in a trilateral cooperation context against the North Korean threat.