Publication

This bulletin provides an overview of 1) some of the factors that hinder Japan-South Korea cooperation on maritime security and other defense issues; 2) existing naval cooperation and the relationship between the coast guards of the two countries. In general, the author argues that naval cooperation between Japan and South Korea has been a rare positive area in relations between the two countries and that Tokyo-Seoul ties could be furthered by exploring how to increase cooperation between the coast guards of the two countries. The author also provides a set of recommendations for US policymakers on how they can improve maritime security capacity building and cultivate greater cooperation between Japan and South Korea.