South Korean authorities consider undesirable the formation of a military alliance of the Republic of Korea - USA - Japan. This was announced on June 5 by a member of the National Assembly of South Korea, Chairman of the Committee for Northern Economic Cooperation under the President of the country, Son Yon-Gil, at the opening of the Far Eastern Russian-Korean Forum in Vladivostok.

"President Moon Zhe Ying believes that a military-political alliance between the Republic of Korea and the United States is enough to help resolve the problems of the Korean Peninsula, but the administration of our country believes that the creation and strengthening of the alliance of the Republic of Korea, the United States and Japan is undesirable. such an emerging bloc could be a “small NATO” in East Asia, ”RIA Novosti quotes him.

Recall that in early June, representatives of the United States, Japan, and South Korea met at a security conference in the Asia-Pacific region, Shangri-La Dialogue, in Singapore. The parties declared their readiness to strengthen trilateral cooperation in order to resolve the situation on the Korean Peninsula. The countries have signed a joint statement, according to which the states will work to achieve complete nuclear disarmament in the region. It is reported by the Japanese agency Kyodo.

"Internal political struggle and discontent"

The current South Korean government emphasizes that it excludes the possibility of a military-political alliance of South Korea and Japan, said Yevgeny Kim, a leading researcher at the Center for Korean Studies at the Institute of Far Eastern Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

According to Yevgeny Kim, the statement of the South Korean side is a kind of response from the United States, who are aware of South Korea’s reluctance to join such an alliance, but still continue to work in this direction.

“Washington has already organized a form of cooperation between Japan, the United States and South Korea, using the problem of nuclear weapons of the DPRK, and it seems that it is not going to stop there. Trilateral contacts between the ministers of foreign affairs and the military leaders of these countries were recently held, ”the expert said.

  • Member of the National Assembly of South Korea, Chairman of the Committee for Northern Economic Cooperation under the President of the Republic, Son Young-Gil
  • © UNC - CFC - USFK / Wikipedia

The statement of the South Korean politician should be perceived in the context of the internal political situation that is taking shape in South Korea, said George Toloraya, head of the Russian Strategy for Asia Strategy at the Institute of Economics of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

“The statement of Son Yong Gil reflects the internal political struggle and discontent in the presidential administration Moon Zhe Ina that the US restrains the development of significant relations with North Korea for South Korea and at the same time tries to reconcile the republic with Japan, which is perceived extremely negatively in Seoul,” Toloraya stressed.

According to him, the tense relations with Tokyo are one of the main themes of the foreign policy activities of the current leadership of South Korea and an important aspect in the internal political struggle.

“Son Yon Gil has big ambitions, he thinks about the presidential chair, so his statement is intended, inter alia, to draw attention to his point of view,” the expert said.

According to Tolorai, the politician represents those forces in South Korea who would like to restart the dialogue with the DPRK and free themselves from the American dictate on this issue.

“The statement of the South Korean politician is also a signal to Pyongyang that some representatives of the South Korean administration want to restore relations with the Northmen, that for them it is more important than contacts with Japan,” the expert emphasized.

"Does not want to be responsible"

According to experts, South Korea will never go to a military alliance with Tokyo, since they remember the crimes of Japan against the Korean people during the Second World War, which the Japanese side has not yet recognized.

So, at the end of May in Tokyo, they made a proposal to Seoul to convene arbitration in order to resolve the issue of compensation for the forced labor of Korean workers during the Second World War. This was reported by Kyodo.

These steps by the Japanese side are related to the fact that a court in South Korea recognized the lawful confiscation of property of a Japanese company, whose predecessors used forced labor during the Second World War. Several workers sued, which awarded them about $ 350 thousand. However, now of those who initially filed a lawsuit, only one person was left alive.

  • Colonial rule of Japan, 1915
  • AFP
  • © Dong-a Iilbo

In addition, the controversy continues around the issue of the "woman for consolation" system - a form of forced prostitution for the needs of the Japanese army in Asia during the Second World War. Seoul calls the system “sexual slavery”, while in Tokyo it is claimed that the mechanism acted on a voluntary basis, and the girls allegedly received rewards for the “services”.

As Yevgeny Kim notes, South Korea is categorically against a military alliance with Japan, including for the reason that between countries there are unfinished disputes since the Second World War.

“Japan does not want to recognize and be responsible for the crimes it committed during that period. Tokyo disowns from the fact that it was a government policy, and not isolated cases. Even now there is no information about this in Japanese school and university textbooks on history, ”Kim said.

In his opinion, the South Koreans still remember the role of Japan in the fate of the Korean nation and do not want to establish close contacts with the former colonialists.

“That is why the people of the republic will never support the creation of a military alliance with Tokyo. Moreover, in this case, Seoul would be in subordinate roles, ”the expert noted.

As George Toloraya notes, anti-Japanese sentiment is strong in South Korea, which cannot be considered unfounded.

“Japan plays a destructive role in normalizing the situation on the Korean Peninsula. Tokyo is extremely afraid of the creation of a united Korea and puts obstacles in the way of inter-Korean rapprochement, ”declared Toloraya.

According to him, Seoul, on the contrary, contributed a lot to the dialogue between the United States and the DPRK at the Singapore summit.

“This is the merit of President Moon personally, who acted as an intermediary in this meeting. At the same time, the Japanese side was very excited about what was happening, especially since Tokyo was completely removed from the diplomatic process. Japan is the only country with which Kim Jong-un did not have a summit at the highest level and normal interaction, ”the expert stated.

Block discipline

According to analysts, Washington would like to create a “small NATO” in East Asia to put pressure on the countries of the region and issue orders to the states that will join the alliance.

Recall, every year near North Korea, large-scale military exercises are held, in which tens of thousands of American, South Korean and Japanese military are involved. During the maneuvers using ships, fighters and strategic bombers. The exercises are carried out according to the scenario of repelling "aggression", as well as delivering a retaliatory strike against the "enemy", including the introduction of infantry troops into the territory of the enemy.

Thus, from 23 to 27 May, joint exercises of the Republic of Korea, Japan, the USA and Australia took place. Pacific Vanguard maneuvers were held in the Pacific island of Guam. The US Navy said that as part of the training "skills are being sharpened to strengthen practical cooperation at sea." About 3 thousand troops participated in the Pacific Vanguard, two Austrian frigates, two Japanese destroyers and one South Korean were involved.

According to Eugene Kim, the United States needs a "small NATO" as one of the forms of control of the eastern borders and pressure on the states of the region.

“Washington’s blue dream throughout South Korea’s existence is to create a tripartite military-political alliance in Northeast Asia — the United States, Japan, and South Korea. If such an alliance is created, it will assume bloc discipline - except for the dominant state represented by the USA, all the rest will be in secondary positions - part of their sovereignty is transferred to the command of the military association, ”Kim said.

  • The teachings of South Korea and the United States near the border with the DPRK, April 2017
  • Reuters
  • © Kim Hong-Ji

According to him, Seoul even outside such an alliance is in strong military-political dependence on the United States.

“Now South Korea is limited in its sovereignty, because the US command controls the South Korean troops. It is Washington that determines the number and nature of military exercises. South Korea, perhaps, would have been glad not to conduct exercises near North Korea, but the US side insists on its own and does not give Seoul the right to vote, ”the analyst stated.

Kim also added that such a unit, if created, would only aggravate the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

“If such a military alliance is created, Washington will simply give orders to South Korea and Japan, which will be forced to take part in American military operations. In addition, this bloc would be primarily directed against Russia and China, ”said the expert.

According to George Tolorai, the statement of the South Korean politician about the refusal of Seoul to enter into a military-political alliance with Japan will irritate Washington.

“The United States will not like it. The words Son Yong Gil draw attention to the fact that the United States does not achieve its goals in East Asia, their positions are not strengthened in this region, and there are no prospects for coordination in such a format, ”the expert concluded.