The three nations’ expanding military cooperation has come under fire from North Korea for being seen as a risky precursor to the establishment of an “Asian version of NATO.”

A South Korean lawmaker on August 17 cited the nation’s intelligence service saying that North Korea may launch an intercontinental ballistic missile or engage in other military activity to protest a meeting of the United States, South Korea, and Japan.
In an effort to strengthen ties between Seoul and Tokyo in the face of North Korea’s nuclear threats and at a time when China’s influence in the area is expanding, U.S. President Joe Biden will meet with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at Camp David on Friday.
The three nations’ expanding military cooperation has come under fire from North Korea for being seen as a risky precursor to the establishment of a “Asian version of NATO.”