One Year Later: The Path Forward for US-ROK-Japan Trilateral Relations

Last year’s unprecedented US-ROK-Japan Trilateral Summit at Camp David herald in a new age of expanded and enhanced cooperation. Since August 2023, the United States, South Korea, and Japan have stepped up strategic cooperation to strengthen the trilateral partnership at large, pushing forward new strategies for government-to-government engagement, military training exercises, and investments in trade and technology. After a year of expanded consultations, the US-ROK-Japan trilateral partnership boosts policy coordination across the board in critical domains of security, supply chains, and emerging technology.

However, recent geopolitical events from ongoing war in Ukraine to the strategic competition between the United States and China and the Russia and North Korea mutual defense pact serve as a stark reminder of the importance of close cooperation between the United States and its key allies: Japan and South Korea. Moving forward, the three countries must chart a pathway forward to address opportunities and challenges amid intensifying regional and international security dynamics.

Join us to review the last year of US-ROK-Japan trilateral expanded relations—both what has been accomplished and what remains on the docket—and to discuss opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for the three countries.