As events in the Indo-Pacific region continue to deteriorate, comes news that the US, Japan and South Korea have signed a mutual defense pact that promises to assist one another should any or all of the three nations come under attack. Over the last few years, Russia, the PRC and North Korea have provided increasing cooperation with one another with North Korea even providing munitions to Russia in return for certain technological developments. Defense analysts also point to the PRC for continuing to not only provide encouragement to Russia in their war with Ukraine but certain types of “unnamed” assistance ranging from humanitarian aid to weaponry.

For years, the US has attempted to bring both South Korea and Japan to the bargaining table, pointing to near-term threats in the region as a means of putting aside past differences. These differences go back to World War II, when Japan brutalized South Korea in their campaign to seize the entire Pacific Rim, going so far as to use South Korean civilians as “comfort women” to pacify Japanese soldiers returning from battle. Admittedly its difficult to look beyond war crimes such as these and act as if nothing of consequence occurred over eighty years ago. However, recent moves in and around the region by a belligerent PRC, a nuclear-armed North Korea and aggressive Russia has convinced many that it was time for both countries to take stock of the current situation and take steps to counter these threats should events continue to head south. Other pacts are almost certain to occur, as the US has sought to bring in other nations to defend the Indo-Pacific region should war break out.

The US also acknowledge that they will be upgrading their forces in and around Japan, to both modernize their land, sea and air assets and work in closer cooperation with other allied nations.