In a significant move to strengthen military ties and counter the growing threats from China and North Korea, the United States, Japan, and South Korea have signed an agreement on joint military training in Tokyo. This marks the first official visit of South Korean Defense Minister Suh Wook to Japan in 15 years for talks with top diplomats and military officials from all three nations.
The trilateral meeting comes at a crucial time as the US prepares for its presidential elections in November. The alignment of views among the three countries on security issues presents an opportunity to cement their military alliances and enhance cooperation.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, alongside his Japanese and South Korean counterparts, will announce the creation of a new warfighting command in Japan to oversee all American forces there. This transformative change will give US Forces Japan (USF-J) primary responsibility for tasks that have previously been handled in Hawaii. The upgraded USF-J will work closely with Japanese forces and serve as a counterpart to Japan's Joint Operations Command (J-JOC).
The new command, which is expected to be based at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, will have a direct leadership role in planning and leading US forces during both peace time and potential crises. This marks one of the strongest improvements to military ties between the US and Japan in 70 years.
The joint military training agreement signed by the three nations aims to further strengthen their security cooperation. The discussions also focus on sharing early warning missile data in real-time, planning trilateral exercises, and addressing regional security challenges posed by North Korea and China.
This historic announcement comes as tensions between the US, Japan, South Korea, and China continue to rise over territorial disputes and military activities in the Indo-Pacific region. The strengthening of military ties among these allies is crucial for maintaining peace and stability in the region.
