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e-ISSN: 2807-8691 | p-ISSN: 2807-839X

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Beyond Security: South Korea’s Rejection

Towards Us Initiative of Trilateralism

Hasri Ainun Hakiem¹, Grace Lestariana Wonoadi²

Department of International Relations; Sun Moon University; South Korea

Department of International Relations; Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Email: grace.wonoa[email protected]

Keywords

ABSTRACT

foreign policy, South Korea, Trilateral

Military Alliance, US - Japan - China

This article is a study of foreign policy that aims to understand the

reasons for South Korea's refusal to join the trilateral military

alliance with the U.S. and Japan in countering North Korea’s nuclear

and missile provocation. Due to the crisis of the two Koreas and the

North keeps doing any efforts that leads to escalate the conflict, the

U.S. initiated trilateral military alliance with its allies, namely South

Korea and Japan. Surprisingly, South Korea stated that they do not

want to join trilateral military alliance with U.S. and Japan. Using an

extensive literature review method with an interpretive approach, it

finds that South Korea’s domestic political condition and a high

pressure from China regarding this issue were influential in South

Korea’s decision to refuse to join the alliance. The domestic political

condition refers not only to political leader, but also to historical

burden, and the changing generational priorities. This study also

shows that China has got a stronger bargaining position in

international relations in the East Asia region.

INTRODUCTION

Foreign policy is always devoted to achieving national interests. Regarding the Realist

perspective, international affairs must be considered with national security as a requirement for a

nation-state to be called a sovereign country. Without security, it will be difficult for a country to

govern effectively (Griffiths, Callaghan, & Roach, 2008). Therefore, every nation state tries to create

security for itself, including the Republic of Korea (ROK or South Korea).

After the ceasefire that marked the separation of the two Koreas in 1953, there was no

significant improvement in the Two Koreas relations. These two countries are still in conflict with each

other. For South Korea, North Korea poses a major security threat with its nuclear weapons. This

threat not only affects South Korea, but also Japan as the two main allies of the United States (US).

Disturbed by the ongoing nuclear threat carried out by North Korea, the U.S. has proposed a

plan to formalize and institutionalize a military cooperation with South Korea and Japan, known as

the Trilateral Military Alliance. This proposal aims not only to deter Pyongyang, but also to enhance

security in the East Asia region. The alliance represents a concentration and institutionalization of

security affairs among the three countries.

In the realm of international relations, trilateralism refers to relationships involving three

entities that share the same political goals and strategic vision of regional and international

arrangements. Trilateral cooperation, also known as trilateralism, is often described as more complex

than bilateral cooperation but simpler than traditional multilateralism (Kamphausen, Park, Sahashi,

& Szwalwinski, 2018, p. 3). It is believed that Trilateralism holds a bigger potential to deliver

significant benefits to each member in the security sector. It represents a more streamlined form of

multilateralism, inheriting some basic advantages of traditional multilateralism while avoiding the

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most serious problems (Zhang, 2020). These alliances expected to achieve cost saving and multiply

benefits through the division of responsibilities, the equitable distribution of common assets, and the

added protection provided by having a stronger country as an ally (Tetrais, 2004, p. 136).

Although an alliance can provide benefits for participating countries, President Moon Jae in

made an unexpected statement during his interview with Channel News Asia Singapore. President

Moon Jae in stated,

"South Korea-U.S. Military cooperation as well as Japan has become important, at countering

North Korea's nuclear and missile provocations. But I do not think it is appropriate to develop the

cooperation to a level of (trilateral) military alliance." (Yonhap News, 2017)

Moon also stated that the U.S. was indeed an ally of South Korea. He said: "For (South) Korea,

the alliance with the U.S. is more important than anything in safeguarding our security. In particular,

the cooperation between Korea and the US is essential to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue.

Therefore, we need to maintain the traditional stance of the great importance of bilateral relations

with the U.S." (Lim, 2017).

Why did President Moon Jae in firmly reject the invitation from US and Japan to join the

Trilateral Military Alliance? His words represented South Korean foreign policy, which seems

neglected the best strategy to resolve the security problem.

This article will discuss the reasons for South Korea's refusal to join the trilateral military

alliance with the U.S. and Japan using a qualitative approach on the library research methods. By using

the wide spread materials, namely scholarly articles, books, reports, and news, this research also used

a primary data obtained from an in-depth interview with a senior scholar from South Korea who

possesses firsthand knowledge and extensive experience in the field. It offers qualitative researchers

a way to capture the lived experiences of participants (Janesick, 2014). The researchers believe that

interpretive qualitative research does not reduce the value of research as a scientific work.

METHODS

In about the realm of foreign policy studies, researchers often employ literature study methods

and interpretive approaches. This research is a qualitative study that aims to understand the reasons

for South Korea's refusal to join the trilateral military alliance with the US and Japan. Various

approaches are commonly employed in this endeavor, including basic theory, ethnography, action

research, phenomenological research, and narrative research. Despite some similarities, each

approach emphasizes different goals and perspectives. In qualitative research, the researcher

perceives themselves as an "instrument" within the research process. Consequently, all conclusions,

perceptions, and views are interpreted through the researcher's personal perspective. Therefore,

when documenting qualitative analysis methods, it is important to focus on the chosen strategy and

provide a detailed description of the choices made in collecting and evaluating data.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

Benefits of Trilateralism and Military Alliance

Trilateralism is a burden and responsibility sharing strategy. It may be hold in separated

sector, such as economic, social, and security. This collaborative approach become popular in the US-

led structured of international relations in East Asia (Zhang, 2020). In the military sector, it is closely

related with the term “alliance”.

Dr. Sangit Sarita cites the opinion of Arnold Wolfer to define an alliance as a promise of joint

military assistance between two or more sovereign states. Alliances play a central role in international

relations because they are seen as an integral part of statehood. An alliance is formed between two or

more countries to fight a common enemy. Weak countries often form alliances when they need

protection against strong countries, also to defend themselves. Conversely, strong countries enter into

alliances to fight other powerful countries. The state expects its allies to help militarily and

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Hasri Ainun Hakiem, Grace Lestariana Wonoadi

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diplomatically during the conflict (Dwivedi, 2012, p. 1-2).

The main benefits of the alliance are obviously security, but many non-security benefits can

also be obtained from the alliance. Security benefits within a joint defense alliance include a lower

possibility of deterrence, offensive and defensive capabilities, and the prevention of alliances forming

between allies and one's enemies (preclusion). The Alliance provides a substantial increase quickly in

security. Increasing military capability independently will take a long time, whereas alliances become

a reliable choice (Chun, 2000, p. 76).

Trilateralisme between the U.S., South Korea, and Japan is a necessary and effective approach

to tackle many of the challenges of traditional and non-traditional inside and outside Asia. The most

successful trilateral initiatives tend to be rooted in a shared commitment to addressing common

threats and promoting concrete common interests, rather than being solely driven by the desire of the

three countries to collaborate (Kamphausen, Park, Sahashi, & Szwalwinski, 2018, p. 2).

The intrinsic value of trilateral relations is a legitimate form of regional cooperation that

benefits all participating parties. Muhui Zhang argues that because the number of cooperative

partners is relatively small, minilateralism is widely known for efficiency, considering that

complications and transaction costs are expected to be proportional to the number of actors involved

in multilateral arrangements. It is not unusual for members with very different interests decide to stop

multilateral cooperation because of the high bureaucratic burden and administrative costs involved

(Kamphausen, Park, Sahashi, & Szwalwinski, 2018, p. 5). Trilateralism also offers many of the same

benefits as traditional multilateralisms. In the first place, to ensure a stable and effective

communication flow by institutionalizing the contact point for partners. Trilateral cooperation also

facilitates long-term policy planning and fosters institutional development among the countries

involved.

Following the discussion of trilateralism, it is also necessary to discuss the importance of a

military alliance. This is to focus the discussion not only on the benefits of the alliance, but also

underscores on the military alliances planned to be formed by the United States. The perceived benefit

of joining a formal military alliance is rooted in the belief that collective defense arrangement, by

providing formal military commitments and other elements of national power among signatories,

serve as a deterrent to potential enemies (Cook, 2013, p. 561). In the case of the U.S., South Korea and

Japan, the potential enemy is North Korea, posing threats to the stability and security of the East Asian

region.

Formal alliance also carries a symbolic dimension, which was briefly captured by former

Secretary of State Madeline Albright when she stated that NATO as an expression of indispensable

transatlantic relations. Proponent of such alliance firmly believe that this official agreement promotes

peace and avoid war. Another benefit of the military alliance, which also mentioned earlier, is that they

facilitate the equitable distribution of responsibilities among members. For example, NATO carried

out Article 5 of the Washington Agreement after the terrorist attacks on 9/11 and then carried out

military forces to Afghanistan in its first "outside the territory" operation. The involvement of the

alliance allowed the establishment of the International Security Assistance Force Afghanistan (ISAF)

which eventually grew to have 50 member states. By February 2013, there were more than 100.000

ISAF troops serving in Afghanistan. An alliance offers a greater perception of "legitimacy" in the

international system, especially when it is compared to unilateral actions undertaken by one country,

regardless of its size or strength. Alliance also offers access to geo-strategic (i.e., rights, flight permits,

etc.) to main areas where the national interest is at stake (Cook, 2013, p. 563).

Returning to the topic of the trilateral military alliance, if South Korea is included in this

military alliance, there will be many benefits that can be obtained. The synergy between the benefits

of trilateralism which "makes it easy" and the military alliance that provides strength and deterrence

factors, is particularly noteworthy. Additionally, the alignment of common goals between the U.S.,

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South Korea and Japan, where all of them want peace in the East Asia region. So, the formation of this

alliance is worth considering.

South Korea’s Domestic Politics in Moon Jae in Administration

Moon Jae In replaced Park Geun He and inugurated in May 2017. Coming from the liberal

Democratic Party, Moon marked a significant shift in South Korean leadership, as he was the first

elected president from the liberal party after about a decade South Korea was led by a conservative

party. He won by gaining 41.1% of the vote (Mosler, 2017, p. 1).

After he was elected as the President of the Republic of Korea, Moon Jae In has been faced with

challenges both domestically and internationally. Moon's victory was supported by his success

attracting the attention of the South Korean people, who asked the presidential candidates to focus on

domestic issues, especially the issue of corruption, economic inequality, youth unemployment,and the

amount of political influence given by conglomerates in South Korea (Altbach, 2017, p. 1). While not

the sole determinant, domestic condition, especailly relates to the National Assembly and public

opinion has getting influential to the decision making of foreign policy (Snyder, 2018).

Regarding the views of the South Korean people about North Korea, reported by the Asan

Public Opinion Report, the view on reunification with North Korea continues to increase from year to

year. The image of North Korea has been changing, which was initially negative. People viewed the

country as a threat, and they always solve problems in a hardcore way. However, this perception has

gradually shifted towards a more positive view. The South Korean community is increasingly

supportive of reunification efforts, considering it a paramount goal for South Korea at this time. It may

say that there is a release of historical trauma (Chun, 2021).

Numerous factors underlie the desire for reunification of South Korea and North Korea. 33.3%

stated it is for economic growth and, while 28.7% said to stop the threat of war. In addition, some of

them also voted for reunification because it was seen as reducing human rights abuses both in North

Korea and in South Korea and contribute to peace to the East Asia region (Miller, 2018).

There appears to be an inverse relationship between public opinion about North Korea and

the United States in South Korea. Asan Public Report launches, the perception of the United States

shifted from initially positive to negative, starting from the reign of Roh Moo Hyun to the current Moon

Jae In. The South Korean community began to see the U.S. as an obstacle and even a threat to South

Korea, especially in the context of Korean reunification. The U.S. is considered unable to help Seoul to

reconcile with Pyongyang.

In contrast to the situation with North Korea and the U.S., relations between South Korea and

Japan are always overshadowed by dark experiences in the past. The wound about the cruel

colonization of Japan in South Korea remains deeply ingrained in Korean society. They still see that

Japan is a cruel country. They still demand an official apology from the Japanese government for

victims, particularly concerning the issue of comfort women. More than that, history as a collective

memory have been developed and memorized from one generation to the next (Ernst, 2020).

There have been various demonstrations and rejection of the Terminal High Altitude Area

Defense (THAAD) installation in Seongju, South Korea. These actions, along with efforts aimed at

normalizing relations with Japan, and blow-up media on surveys conducted by many institutions were

conducted to show the public voice of the South Korean community.

On the other hand, the Democratic Party (Minjoo Party), to which Moon Jae In belongs, has

long been known to oppose the THAAD installation from the start and prefers to improve relations

with North Korea through peaceful means and negotiations. Notably, the Democratic Party has

emerged as the winning party in elections and holds the highest number of seats in parliament.

Consequently, decisions and parliamentary approval will be more influenced by this group (Time,

2016). Parliament in the camp of Moon expressed his desire to reopen the Kaesong Industrial Complex

(KIC) and re-run the Sunshine Policy which had been terminated for 2 periods (Mosler, 2017).

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However, this does not signify the withdrawal from the position of state ally with the U.S.

Instead, Moon's administration continues to see Washington as the most important guarantor of South

Korea's national security. At the same time, there will be more autonomy for South Korea to tackle

problems in the region and aims to establish partnerships among equals. The aim is to ensure that

North Korea stops its nuclear weapons program and ultimately denuclearize (Mosler, 2017, p. 11).

When discussing cooperation between South Korea and Japan, this discussion is always

complex. The most frequently cited challenge in achieving effective trilateral policy coordination is the

difficult relationship between Seoul and Tokyo (Smith, 2017, p. 11). Experts argue that the bilateral

cooperation is only in the aspect of economic cooperation, as both are countries with high economic

growth rates in East Asia. However, it will be difficult for both to expand this collaboration to other

fields such as politics and the military, and expectation regarding the progress of cooperation between

the two is very small.

South Korea's sentiment for owning the Japanese military on Korean soil continued to limit the

full integration of planning military alliances. Keeping all the three countries in line at a time when

diplomacy takes place will be difficult (Smith, 2017, p. 11-12).

The Influence of External Politics

It is important to recognize that not only domestic factors but also external factors can

influence a policy making process. The factor of international politics referred in this journal is the

behavior of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The trilateral military alliance formation is aimed at

facing a joint threat for the U.S., South Korea, and Japan, namely the threat of nuclear weapons from

North Korea, a threat that has continued to lurk since the end of the cold war.

The efforts to establish a trilateral military alliance have existed since the 1990s and over time,

relations between the three countries has increased. Recognizing an increase in relations between

South Korea-U.S.- Japan, Beijing began to feel uncomfortable, coupled with efforts to form a military

alliance between the three countries. China considers the trilateral military alliance will bring security

instability in the East Asia region (Easley, 2017). Since the 1990s, China has been worried that the U.S.

wants to form an alliance like NATO on its doorstep (Perlez, 2017).

Previously, both the U.S. and South Korea had taken into consideration how to deal with the

nuclear threat. One of the ways taken by these two countries is by installing Terminal High Altitude

Area Defense or commonly called THAAD. Additionally, the agreement of the Trilateral Information

Sharing Agreement (TISA) to share information between intelligence conducted by South Korea and

Japan was put in place. However, these actions were viewed as a dangerous step by Beijing, as it can

knit Tokyo and Seoul closer in military cooperation, leading to the possibility of a full-fledged military

alliance between South Korea-U.S.-Japan. Song Zhongping, a Chinese-based military analyst more

clearly conveyed,

"This could mean a three-party alliance, rather than two-party alliances [of the U.S. and Japan,

and the U.S. and South Korea], and this would pose a threat to the stability of Northeast Asia,"(Zhou,

2016)

Former Major General of the People's Liberation Army in China, Xu Guanyu, said that if an

alliance between South Korea, the United States and Japan was formed, it would not give Chinese

leaders any choice but to lean towards the Beijing-Moscow alliance in attempt to counterbalance this

development. However, this could be a trigger to an arms race in East Asia (Zhou, 2016).

Since the concern arose, the PRC had not yet gotten the right momentum to prevent the

formation of the trilateral military alliance. Beijing needed to put pressure on one of the parties

involved, with South Korea being the most likely target in their eyes (Perlez, 2017).

After TISA, which China believed would not be agreed by South Korea and Japan, in the

leadership of President Park Geun Hye, South Korea has rejected proposals from the U.S. to install a

more effective high-tech anti-missile system and incorporate its independent system into a

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comprehensive joint network (Klinger, The Importance of THAAD Missile Defense, 2015, p. 22). The

plans to install THAAD in South Korea have become a momentum for China. There is a lot of

controversy regarding the rejection of the THAAD installation and the pressure from China.

The PRC, in opposition to the formation of larger collaboration involving South Korea and

other countries, implemented unofficial sanctions to South Korea in several aspects, particularly

through economic sanctions and diplomatic pressure. Several meetings between government officials

were canceled unilaterally. In the economic sector, the PRC boycotted the entertainment industry,

restricted exports and imports of goods and services, and curtailed tourism to South Korea (Easley,

2017). Some programs that feature South Korean pop music (K-pop) and actors are suspended or

canceled without explanation. China Central Television (CCTV), a state-owned TV channel, reported

that the government's broadcast regulator has banned the airing of South Korea TV shows. Since July

2016, China has blocked access to goods and services from South Korea. In March 2017 the Chinese

Regulator banned the sale of several South Korean products, including certain types of air purifiers,

high-tech toilet seats, and cosmetics, for security reasons. China also banned tourist visits to South

Korea. Until 2017 the number of tourists entering South Korea fell by approximately 60%, because the

majority of tourists came from the China (Meick & Salidjanova, 2017, p. 7). As a result, the economic

relations between the two countries were disrupted and had a significant impact on tourism industry

in South Korea.

After President Park Geun Hye's demise, the elected President, Moon Jae In, was expected to

be a new hope for South Koreans especially to improve relations with North Korea and overcome

problems with China. Shortly after being elected in May 2017, Moon Jae In contacted the President of

China, Xi Jinping. Both of them agreed to meet as soon as possible (Panda, 2017).

After the election of President Moon Jae In, China began to show a change in attitude towards

South Korea, ans the PRC's economic wrath seemed to have begun to decline. Although almost all of

Lotte's stores are still closed, K-Pop music performances have begun to be held again in June. The

Chinese airline, Spring Airline, began rescheduling flights to South Korea for the return of Chinese

tourists traveling to South Korea (Meick & Salidjanova, 2017, p. 8).

Moon Jae In had his initial meeting with Xi Jinping in July at the G20 Summit in Germany.

Unfortunately, during the meeting, both parties had not reached an agreement. However, President

Moon continued his effort to improve relations with China. In the APEC Summit held in Da Nang,

Vietnam, Moon Jae In was again scheduled to meet Xi Jinping. At this meeting, he focused on improving

and normalizing economic cooperation between the two countries. Moon also invited the PRC to

actively participate in sanctions against North Korea's nuclear. This is due to the closeness between

China and North Korea. Beijing has also previously expressed concerns about North Korean nuclear

weapons development and asked Pyongyang for denuclearize (Dong-A Ilbo, 2017).

In December 2017, Moon Jae In made his first visit to China, marking his third meeting with Xi

Jinping. Quoted in the South China Morning Post interview, Moon Jae In said that the main purpose of

this visit was to rebuild trust between the two countries as it had been strained for the past 25 years.

In this meeting, it was also discussed about THAAD. The two leaders engaged in candid conversations

about their views on this issue. It was stated that Beijing understood the purpose of installing the anti-

missile defense system and was convinced that the system currently installed was indeed not directed

to China (Weibing, 2017).

However, China had lingering concerns, primarily related to the potential establishment of

another system similar to THAAD used by South Korea, the U.S. and Japan to "spy on" China (Perlez,

2017). Therefore, China agreed to make economic improvements and revoke sanctions but requested

South Korea to be able to fulfill 3 conditions. Beijing then offered a new agreement called “three nos”:

1. there is no additional THAAD installation in South Korea;

2. there is no participation in a joint strategic missile defense system with the U.S.;

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3. there is no establishment of the South Korea-U.S.-Japan trilateral military alliance (Panda,

2017). In response to this offer, South Korea stated publicly to comply with “three nos” (Abrahamian

& Son, 2017). After the statement, South Korea seemed to keep a distance from the U.S. and Japan.

Moon's decision was disliked by the U.S., as South Korea was deemed to have surrendered to various

pressures and bluffs from China. However, this decision was then supported by Moon Jae In's attitude

in an interview with News Asia Singapore stating,

"South Korea-U.S. military cooperation as well as Japan has become important, but the

cooperation is aimed at North Korea's nuclear and missile provocations. But I don't think it is

appropriate to develop cooperation to a level of (trilateral) military alliance. " (Yonhap News, 2017).

Following the extensive the efforts made by President Moon to improve relations with China,

after a meeting of the two heads of state, Moon Jae In and Xi Jinping in December 2017, the sanctions

given by China to South Korea began to ease. This marked a positive development in the bilateral

relationship and signaled a thaw in tensions between the two countries.

It can be observed that the THAAD installation then became a momentum for China to prevent

the formation of alliances for South Korea, the U.S. and Japan (Perlez, 2017). Although in the end

THAAD remained installed in South Korea with the understanding of China, but the installed batteries

will not increase according to ‘three nos’ agreement.

Seeing the efforts made by the Moon Jae In government to improve the country's relations with

China, some observers attributed this to China's position on South Korea. South Korea's domestic

conditions prefer to improve relations with North Korea is a concern for Moon Jae In's government.

South Korea considers that China the “close ones” to North Korea. Moreover, with Beijing's statement

that they also agreed on the Pyongyang’s denuclearization was seen as an opportunity for Seoul to

bring North Korea back to the negotiating table and stop its nuclear test. Representatives from the

Blue House stated,

"The coming in South Korea-China relations, [the remarks] is significant in pressing China to

emphasize its role and show more active attitude on resolving the North Korean nuclear issue," (Seong,

2017).

In December, South Korea and China agreed on four principles to secure peace and stability on

the Korean Peninsula, which consisted of 1) the war on the Korean Peninsula was intolerable; 2) the

principle of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula will be well maintained; 3) all problems,

including denuclearization of North Korea, will be settled peacefully through dialogue and negotiation;

and 4) improving inter-Korean relations will be very helpful in resolving problems involving the

Korean Peninsula (McGuire, 2018). Beholding the attitude of South Korea that agreed on a ‘three nos’

agreement with China, it can be said that it would be difficult for the trilateral military alliance to be

formed between South Korea-U.S.-Japan (Park, 2017).

CONCLUSION

Security is one of the factors needed by a country to be a sovereign country. However, it is not

the sole determinant of foreign policy decisions. The rejection of South Korea to the US initiative on

security trilateralism shows the development of non-security consideration to be the more important

factors in its foreign policy.

While South Korea, the United States and Japan shared the common goal, namely the

denuclearization of North Korea, the decision to reject participation in the military alliance

underscores the significance of other factors in shaping South Korea's foreign policy. The alliance can

bring benefits for its members, all of whom are able to save the cost of cooperation, the sharing of the

burden, the effectiveness of minilateralisme, as well as the effect deterrence for North Korea if they

are really going to break down the war. However, South Korea under the leadership of Moon Jae In

chose to refuse to join the military alliance. This highlights the complexity of foreign policy decision-

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making, where security concerns must be balanced against a range of other interests and factors.

This rejection is influenced by various factors. First, The Democratic Party that supports

reconciliation with North Korea is the winner of the election and now dominates the parliamentary

seats, so the policy is clearly a major concern in the country.

The South Korean people ask the government to focus on domestic affairs. Through various

demonstrations and surveys published in the mass media, the public has voiced their opinions

regarding the attitude that the government needs to take. The community agrees more if the

government reconciles with North Korea. Negative views about North Korea have changed a lot. While

it was once considered a military threat, North Korea is now considered a brother by the community.

On the contrary, a positive view of the U.S. as a protector of South Korea has now begun to fade,

replaced by the view that the US is an obstacle to the reconciliation process on the Korean peninsula.

Unlike Japan, which has maintained a relatively consistent negative image since the end of Japanese

colonialism in Korea, people's views on it have not changed much. Japan continues to be considered

an aggressive country that has given a deep wound to the people of South Korea.

The next factor in South Korea's foreign policy considerations is from the international context,

particularly the ongoing concern regarding North Korea's nuclear program. Various ways have been

done to stop it. One of South Korea's controversial policies is the installation of Terminal High Altitude

Area Defense (THAAD) in collaboration with the U.S. This THAAD installation received bad response,

both domestically and internationally. China strongly opposed THAAD's policy, arguing that the

system would be able to reach China, and South Korea could "spy on" its nuclear weapons project.

China then gave unofficial sanctions to South Korea where they stopped exporting and importing

goods and services, banned tourism, and stopped broadcasting programs originating from South

Korea. It becomes a driving factor for South Korea to bring North Korea back to the negotiating table

for denuclearization without military means.

Under Moon Jae In's leadership and his efforts to improve relations with China, the sanctions

began to loosen up. However, the PRC gave an offer in the form of an agreement called ‘three nos’,

which stipulated that there was no additional THAAD installation in South Korea, no participation in

a joint strategic missile defense system with the U.S., and no establishment of the South Korea-U.S.-

Japan trilateral military alliance. South Korea then publicly announced that they agreed and chose to

obey the “three nos” despite criticism from Washington. As a result, South Korea maintained a certain

level of distance from the U.S. and Japan in its foreign policy approach.

These diplomatic decisions reflect South Korea's efforts to balance its relationships with key

regional partners while addressing security and geopolitical concerns.

This gives a clear picture that South Korea refused to join the trilateral military alliance with the

U.S. and Japan because of the influence that occurred in South Korea's domestic politics and the pressure

from China as well as South Korea-China's Three Nos agreement.

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