The United States sees a "mood of optimism" in relations between Japan and South Korea and expects trilateral cooperation with its key Asian allies to expand into new areas such as humanitarian assistance, natural disaster response and outer space, a senior diplomat said recently.
In a phone interview with Kyodo News on March 30, Mark Lambert, deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, said the three countries also increasingly share traditional security challenges that threaten the peace and stability of the Asia-Pacific region.
"My country is more secure when (South) Korea and Japan work closely together. I think there is a mood of general optimism that I detected in both Seoul and Tokyo about new things that we could do in a number of facets together," Lambert said.
He said shared concerns include North Korea, which has shown no signs of stopping its nuclear and missile development, a "more assertive China" and a "more aggressive Russia."
Speaking from Japan's northern main island of Hokkaido, he said the area is "extremely important" geopolitically given its proximity to China, North Korea and Russia and their increased military activities.
"The challenges are growing and I think Hokkaido is sort of in the midst of all of them," he said, noting that the U.S. military and Japan's Self-Defense Forces have been conducting more exercises together around the northern island, where he was visiting to speak to local authorities about the major issues they face.
Asked about the possibility of expanding the Quad partnership of Indo-Pacific democracies formed by Australia, India, Japan and the United States to include South Korea, Lambert said he is not aware of any plan to welcome a new member.
But he said members of the group, regarded as a counterbalance to the growing power of China in the region, have made clear they are positive about partnering with South Korea and other countries in certain activities.
The diplomat's remarks came after Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol agreed in mid-March to move past a dispute over wartime conscripted labor to normalize icy bilateral ties.
The agreement was reached at a summit in Tokyo, which marked the first time in 12 years that Japanese and South Korean leaders held formal talks in either of their countries.
"I think that the arrangement between Seoul and Tokyo is going to allow that cooperation to move into new and different areas," Lambert said.
"I have particular optimism that our militaries are going to be able to work on search and rescue, humanitarian assistance and other types of activity," not just in the sea between Japan and the Korean Peninsula, "but even further afield," he said.
Taking advantage of their experience and expertise, if combined, he believes trilateral cooperation could advance into expanding scientific exploration and understanding of outer space.
Moreover, he said countries in Southeast Asia and the Pacific are anticipating greater assistance in areas such as maritime security.
"I'm pretty excited, frankly, about the capabilities that our three countries have -- our coast guards, our emergency responders, our scientists, our firefighters, our seismologists and others, who work together to make this region safer and more resilient," he said.
