Strengthening the weakest link in the U.S.–Japan–South Korea triangle: impetus for and likely effects of space security cooperation

The current strategic environment is favorable to U.S.-South Korea-Japan trilateral security cooperation, and space cooperation is one of the most promising paths for it. U.S.-South Korea-Japan trilateral cooperation has traditionally focused on the threat from North Korea, but its scope has expanded in the context of Sino-U.S. competition, China’s increasing assertiveness toward Japan and South Korea, and Russia’s war against Ukraine. Space cooperation will improve the resiliency of U.S.–Japan – South Korea relations by involving diverse actors in future-oriented projects. This article thus recommends the three states to cultivate mutual dependence through a division of labor in space capabilities development.