By Samuel Mun
It’s time for Japan and South Korea to put aside their differences and enhance naval cooperation.
The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) and Japanese Maritime Self Defense Forces (JMSDF) are “destined to cooperate” (PDF) in an increasingly fluid and competitive security environment in Northeast Asia.
Both the ROK and Japan share bilateral security treaties with the United States, prioritize protection of shared sea lines of communication, and face the challenge of addressing the threat of North Korea’s ballistic missile and nuclear weapons program. Still, these overlapping strategic interests have not translated into substantial bilateral security cooperation. The potential benefits of robust JMSDF-ROKN ties are widely agreed upon among defense officials in Tokyo and Seoul, but lingering historical disputes over Japan’s colonial legacy in Korea, along with a territorial dispute over a set of islets (called “Dokdo” in Korea and “Takeshima” in Japan), impede the development of a close naval partnership that would further anchor peace and stability in Northeast Asia.
Read the full story at The Diplomat