However, South Korea joined NATO before Japan, rendering Japan’s “invitation to participate in the NATO meeting” obsolete. South Korea clearly received more attention from the United States. South Korea has taken the lead in the “involvement” between Japan and South Korea.
Furthermore, South Korean President Yoon suk-yeol is going to assume office. South Korea has joined this NATO related group as a result of a president who is strongly pro-American and anti-China in the opinion of South Koreans, as well as communicating South Korea’s attitude of “standing in line” with the United States to the outside world. With the election of Yoon’s government, the US-South Korean relationship will get tighter, which will undoubtedly have an influence on the Asia-Pacific region’s peace and stability.
In joining the CCDCOE, South Korea must evaluate its relations with China and Russia, as the latter two nations are crucial in placing diplomatic and economic pressure on North Korea to stop its aggressive actions. South Korea’s decision to join the CCDCOE also places it in a trilateral framework with Japan, bringing together two of the most capable US partners in Asia. (M.Raihan Ronodipuro)
M.Raihan Ronodipuro earned a Master of Law in International Relations from the School of International and Public Affairs at Jilin University in China. He serves as an Associate Researcher in the Department of Politics and Security at the Center for Indonesia-China Studies (CICS). Raihan is currently working as a special aide to the Gerindra Party faction at the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia (DPR RI), assigned to committee 1 (defense, foreign, and Information Affairs).