Jung Sye-kyun: "Security Cooperation Among Korea, US, and Japan Becoming an Inevitable Reality"

"North Korea is effectively the 4th to 5th ranked nuclear power... Serious threat even to the US"

Former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Joo-hee] Former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said on the 11th (local time), "Due to China's military rise and the emergence of the Northern Triangle alliance among North Korea, China, and Russia, security cooperation among South Korea, the United States, and Japan, that is, the Southern Triangle alliance, has become an inevitable reality."

Former Prime Minister Chung made this remark during his keynote speech at a roundtable of diplomatic and security experts held at the University of Pennsylvania, emphasizing that "for security cooperation among the three countries to be possible, the historical issues between South Korea and Japan must be resolved."

Regarding South Korea-Japan relations, Former Prime Minister Chung evaluated, "The Yoon Seok-yeol administration seems to have a progressive attitude, but Japan appears to blame South Korea entirely for the strained bilateral relations since the 2015 agreement," adding, "With this attitude, even if the Yoon administration has the will, it will be difficult to show a progressive stance due to public opinion." He further stated, "Japan must also show some sincerity to make compromise possible."

On the situation on the Korean Peninsula, he said, "The frequency of North Korean missile provocations is more serious than in 2017 when tensions escalated and then-U.S. President Donald Trump spoke of 'Fire & Fury' and a 'Bloody Nose,'" adding, "North Korea, which possesses dozens of transporter erector launchers (TELs) and nuclear weapons, is effectively the world's 4th or 5th largest nuclear power, posing a serious security threat not only to South Korea but also to neighboring countries and the United States."

Regarding North Korea's nuclear weapons policy legalization, he said, "North Korea has expressed a stance that it may use nuclear weapons preemptively based on subjective judgment," and "it has also made clear that it will not yield to any sanctions. This proves that sanctions alone will not bring down North Korea."

He advised, "Rather than leaving this worsening situation unattended, South Korea and the United States should put their heads together to create a creative and bold plan, that is, a plan that can change North Korea's strategic calculations and make a final offer to North Korea."

Former Prime Minister Chung visited the United States on the 10th at the invitation of the University of Pennsylvania. He is scheduled to stay in the U.S. until the 14th, during which he will give lectures on South Korea's COVID-19 response and hold meetings with Korean international students, among other events.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.