Link to article: https://www.voanews.com/a/us-south-korea-japan-reaffirm-pledge-to-seek-denuclearization-of-north-korea/7976702.html
On Saturday, February 15th, The United States, South Korea, and Japan released a joint statement renewing their pledge to seek complete denuclearization of North Korea. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had arranged meetings with South Korean foreign minister Cho Tae-Yul and Japanese diplomat Takeshi Iwaya and following the conference the three countries sent a “strong warning” that they “will not tolerate any provocations or threats to their homelands”. Additionally, United States, South Korea, and Japan expressed their commitment to “the immediate resolution of the issues of abductees, detainees, and unrepatriated prisoners of war as well as the issue of separated families”. Donald Trump has already pledged to reach out to Kim Jong Un, the North Korean leader, concerning its ongoing nuclear weapons program. However, North Korea stated in January that the program would continue with no end in sight.
This article is very important in understanding relations between the United States, South Korea, and Japan, especially in terms of their views towards North Korea. Additionally, the response from North Korea shows there could be a potential conflict in the future; if the three countries above have pledged to denuclearize North Korea, and North Korea has stated it will continue its nuclear weapons program indefinitely, there will at some point have to be a “winner” and a “loser”. One side of the argument will have to concede, if all countries are adamant about their position on the topic.
As I stated above, both the US, South Korea, and Japan and North Korea seem to be firmly rooted in place when it comes to their positions on North Korea being in possession of nuclear weapons, and at some point this will need to be resolved, either peacefully or through some sort of conflict. This could very well depend on Donald Trump’s communications with Kim Jong Un, as he has already pledged to reach out to the North Korean leader concerning its ongoing nuclear weapons program. It is possible that Trump will have to decide which he believes to be more important, his relationship with Kim Jong Un or his pledge along with South Korea and Japan to denuclearize North Korea.
This particular development can be directly connected back to a key part of what we have discussed in class, multilateral security policy. Through multilateral security policy, states take a coordinated foreign policy with allies, which can be seen through the United States collaborating with South Korea and Japan to work towards the goal of denuclearizing North Korea. In addition to this, the US, South Korea, and Japan are playing an interventionist role in North Korea’s affairs, as interventionism is defined as a policy of interference in other states’ affairs without regard for their consent.