The future of US-ROK-Japan trilateral cooperation

The handshakes at Camp David in August 2023 were historic. For the first time, the leaders of the United States, South Korea and Japan committed to regular trilateral consultations, coordinated security responses and deeper economic cooperation. The summit promised a new era of partnership among three democratic allies. Nearly two years later, that promise hangs in the balance. All three leaders who met at the presidential retreat have since left office. President Biden has been succeeded by President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stepped down in favor of Shigeru Ishiba, and President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law crisis precipitated a leadership transition in Seoul. While President Lee Jae Myung has advocated for continuing the trilateral framework and Ishiba called for tighter cooperation, the renewed tariff disputes and domestic political constraints following Japan's electoral upheaval have cast doubt on the partnership's trajectory. Yet the achievements since Camp David have been substantial. The three institutionalized a new Trilateral Secretariat, conducting joint militWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times