Two major wars rumble on around the world and tensions are high on the Korean Peninsula.
It’s against this backdrop that NATO marks the 75 years of its alliance.
This year’s NATO summit is taking place in Washington, D.C. this week, where not only 32 NATO members are invited, but also four Indo-Pacific countries, including South Korea and Japan.
We take a closer look at this high-stakes meeting and what this means for the Seoul-Washington-Tokyo cooperation.
This special discussion is co-produced by Arirang TV and Voice of America.
I’m Yoon Jung-min, anchor of Arirang’s News Center, here in Seoul.
I will be co-hosting this roundtable, with Eunjung Cho, VOA Korean’s State Department correspondent and host of “Washington Talk” over in Washington.
Good to see you, Eunjung.
Hello Jungmin, connecting to you from the Voice of America headquarters in Washington.
With me is Mr. Richard Lawless, founding Principal of NMV Consulting. Mr. Lawless was former Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs, and also served as deputy head of the US delegation to the Beijing Six-Party Talks.
Back to you, Jungmin.
Thank you, Eunjung.
And we also have two more experts joining us for the discussion.
Nam Sung-wook, President of the Convergence Institute for National Unification at Korea University joins us.
Professor Nam also served as a president of the Institute for National Security Strategy.
Welcome, Professor.
And Koichi Yonemura, Deputy Foreign News Editor of Mainichi Newspaper also joins us virtually.
Mr. Yonemura, thank you for you time.
Thank you all for joining us. It’s a pleasure to meet you.
(Arirang)
1. This year’s NATO summit is coming at a time when North Korea continues ratcheting up provocations, having recently signed a renewed military treaty with Russia while some signs of a rift have been spotted between Pyongyang and Beijing. What will be on the discussion table when President Yoon Suk Yeol meets his counterparts in Washington, including U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida?
2. Washington has not only warned of arms cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang for the war in Ukraine, but also the possibility of North Korea sending its troops to Ukraine following the Kim Jong-un-Putin summit a few weeks ago. What’s the assessment in the U.S. about the recent security developments on the Korean Peninsula? How is Washington seeking to address this issue with its allies and partners?
3. NATO has invited four Indo-Pacific partners (South Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand) for three years straight. What cooperation is NATO seeking with the Indo-Pacific? Do we expect a joint document between NATO and the four partners, the very first of its kind?
Now, let’s go over to our friends in Washington, again. Eunjung, would you like to weigh in?
(VOA)
1. The U.S., ROK and Japan’s main discussion with NATO allies will be joint responses to China’s coercive actions and curbing Russia-DPRK cooperation. Many experts say that there may be room for cooperation with China in suppressing Russia-DPRK cooperation. But how can one seek China’s cooperation while keeping pace with NATO’s pressure campaign against China?
2. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said “there is a strong need to reinforce cooperation with AP4 countries to intensify pressure on China.” But the interests of Japan and South Korea do not fully coincide with those of the U.S. and NATO when it comes to the need to put pressure on China and how hard to push China. Is there a good balance to overcome these differences? Why is Japan much more vocal than South Korea on the Taiwan issue despite China’s opposition?
3. Unlike Japan, the Korean Peninsula borders China and Russia, and South Korea has been quite cautious in dealing with these countries, not only on economic and diplomatic issues, but also on geopolitical issues. At a time when competition between the U.S. and China is intensifying, does the “balanced diplomacy” pursued by previous Korean governments still have merit? Or is it in the ROK’s national interest to actively align itself with the new U.S. Asia strategy, forge a stronger common front with NATO, and counter the coercive behavior of China and Russia?
(Arirang)
4. Talks are likely to center on supporting Ukraine when NATO members gather. The South Korean government recently signaled a potential shift in its policy regarding weapons provision for Ukraine, in response to the Pyongyang-Moscow military assistance agreement. Russia has reacted against it. What are the prospects?
5. Japan and Ukraine signed a 10-year security agreement last month on the sidelines of the G7 summit, pledging nonlethal defense supplies and financial contributions. Do you think any upgraded discussions will be made during this year’s NATO meeting? Also, what are the prospects of the leaders placing additional sanctions against Russia and entities based in a third-country that have been circumventing sanctions?
6. The U.S. has invited foreign ministers of Israel and several Arab countries to the NATO summit. What does the extended invitations mean when conflicts rage on in the Middle East?
(VOA)
4. North Korea condemned a trilateral multi-domain exercise ‘Freedom Edge’ as an ‘Asian NATO’. The U.S. government rejected the criticism. Now, isn’t there a strong possibility that advanced joint exercises between the U.S., ROK and Japan could evolve to align with NATO’s interests in Asia? What additional steps are needed, in terms of trilateral exercises, to align with NATO’s broader regional goals?
5. North Korea’s continued provocations, closer ties with Russia, and China’s military buildup are obviously threats to Japan as well. But some in South Korea are concerned about Japan’s reinterpretation of its defense-only policy to include offensive capabilities and a massive defense buildup. Is the current security crisis in Northeast Asia a golden opportunity for Japan to become a “normal country” that can fight wars? Just as the Korean War was a reason for U.S. policy toward Japan to “reverse course” and pave the way for the formation of the Self-Defense Forces?
6. NATO has invited Korea and AP4 to its summit for the 3rd straight year. There are conflicting opinions in Korea about cooperation with NATO. Some say South Korea should play a “global pivotal role” among like-minded democratic countries, while others warn that South Korea could be drawn into the Ukraine war or the Taiwan contingency. To what extent should South Korea cooperate with NATO? What role does South Korea expect NATO to play in the Korean crisis? A direct deployment?
(Arirang)
7. Trade ministers of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan recently met in Washington to bolster the three-way cooperation on chips, core minerals and clean energy. What’s worth noticing when it comes to the latest economic security and supply chain cooperation?
8. Eyes are on the U.S. presidential election in November. Not just America, but many other countries have closely watched the recent first televised debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump ahead of their rematch. Do you think there will be a notable change in the U.S.’ relationship with its allies and partners over the next four years if former President Trump is re-elected?
9. Japanese Prime Minister Kishida has been willing to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by the regime decades ago. In March, the regime revealed Kishida’s proposal for a summit, but dismissed it soon after. What’s the summit outlook?
(VOA)
7. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said there needed to be “consequences” at some stage for China’s support of Russia’s defense industry. How can NATO impose a price on China while maintaining global stability? What role do the U.S. and NATO expect the ROK and Japan to play in this process?
8. What is Japan’s position on South Korea joining the Quad? Do you think ROK and Japan need to join AUKUS? Many in Washington oppose South Korea’s nuclear drive. How does Japan view the ROK politicians’ and public’s call for nuclear armament?
9. What specific results has NATO’s expanded cooperation with Indo-Pacific countries achieved so far? Have there been any unnecessary challenges or problems along the way? What steps are needed to ensure that the ROK-NATO relationship continues to be mutually beneficial in the future?
Do you agree with the argument that the U.S., Japan, Korea and the Philippines should discuss collective defense at the NATO summit?
I want to thank you all, our experts and Eun-jung, for sharing your insights.
Now, that concludes our discussion.
And to all of our viewers, thank you for watching.
Source : Arirang TV, https://www.arirang.com/news/view?id=272967
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