► As US-China strategic competition further escalates, the leader of each strategic camp will be incentivized to ask its partners to show full support for its cause and treat them according to their contributions. ► As such, South Korea and Japan will receive greater pressure from the United States to mend their bilateral relations ► Resolving the historical conflicts between the two countr...

► During the Korea-U.S. summit meeting held in Seoul on May 21, the two countries agreed to expand the ROK-U.S. alliance, the linchpin for peace and prosperity in the region, beyond the Korean peninsula into a global comprehensive alliance based on shared values. The two countries agreed on the importance of trilateral cooperation between Korea, the U.S., and Japan in responding to the challenge of North Korea...

► While there has been some progress in trilateral cooperation in recent years, backed by strong support from the US, considering the deterioration of ROK-Japan relations, the transformation of bilateral relations will not be as easy as the US expected. ► In recent years, it has become more difficult to repair ROK-Japan relations because issues originating from historical injustices have become closely linked ...