On October 28, 2020, the GW Institute for Korean Studies (GWIKS) and the East Asia National Resource Center co-sponsored the Korea Policy Forum on “U.S.-ROK-Japan Trilateral Relations in the Post-Abe Era”. Moderated by Yonho Kim, Associate Director of GWIKS, the main session began with Celeste Arrington, Associate Professor of the George Washington University giving a presentation that reviewed controversial issues, such as Comfort Women and GSOMIA, with which Japan and South Korea continue to struggle.
After the presentation, Emma Chanlett-Avery, the Asian Affairs Specialist from the Congressional Research Service provided her analysis on how Japan’s new Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is more focused on domestic issues rather than foreign politics. However, she stated that Prime Minister Suga has pledged to follow his predecessor Abe in foreign politics and, thus, we can expect very little change in Japan’s international politics. In terms of the trilateral relations, Ms. Chanlett-Avery mentioned that unlike the Obama administration, the Trump administration had been less involved in Korea-Japan relations. Some had even criticized the Trump administration for not making enough measures before the trade dispute between Korea and Japan expanded to the issue of GSOMIA withdrawal.
Yong-Chool Ha, the Professor at the University of Washington also commented on Celeste’s presentation and argued that bilateral, trilateral, and multilateral cooperation is necessary. In order to overcome the contentious relationship, the two countries need to take efforts to eliminate common barriers and find a mutual understanding. Mr. Ha said both countries need to adopt changes at the international and domestic levels. In addition, he argued how critical it is for the US and Japan to understand South Korea’s democratic advancement and the values that had developed along with democratic maturity.
Following Mr. Ha’s comments, James Schoff, the Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment, talked about the benefits of trilateral collaboration. Firstly, with Asia transforming and creating new norms, trilateral cooperation is crucial for South Korea, Japan, and the US. The three countries need to come together to resist China’s coercion. Secondly, while the US cannot take sides, he claimed that the US can facilitate communication and help South Korea and Japan rebuild trust in one another. Lastly, Mr. Schoff stated that trilateral relations could be a safe haven to settle issues that were difficult to resolve in a bilateral relationship.
After listening to the panelists’ comments, the Moderator started to ask questions that were submitted by the audience. Questions focused on various issues, including GSOMIA, North Korea, China, the Biden administration, and the issue of liquidation of Japanese assets in South Korea. While the panelists saw the controversies between South Korea and Japan as subject to continue, they all agreed that South Korea, Japan, and the US must continue to cooperate to loosen the tension and reach a mutual agreement.
