Seoul could use the idea of suspending the Comprehensive Military Agreement as leverage without actually scrapping the deal, says Naoko Aoki: "North Korea's violation of the agreement makes it a problematic actor, so South Korea has the moral high ground." koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/202…

Next Friday, Feb 23, join us in DC or online for "U.S.-Japan Relations in an Election Year," a roundtable with Naoko Aoki, Anand Rao of SUNY Geneseo, and Emma Chanlett-Avery. Registration and other info: mailchi.mp/mansfieldfdn/f…

Modernizing cooperation between the U.S., Japan, and South Korea will "help the credibility of the alliance and help deterrence in the region," says RAND's Naoko Aoki. voanews.com/a/us-japan-eye…

Japan’s prime minister, Fumio Kishida, is in Washington this week. Naoko Aoki on potential upgrades to the U.S.-Japan alliance: "For Japan, the question is how to achieve greater military integration while maintaining proper levels of independence." voanews.com/a/us-japan-eye…

What are the implications of closer U.S.-Japan security cooperation? New interview with RAND's Naoko Aoki: thediplomat.com/2024/04/the-ja…

"Countries that are worried about China's aggressive actions and the fast pace of its military modernization are coming together … to maintain the international order based on international law and maintain stability." 🎧 New interview with Naoko Aoki: voanews.com/amp/pushing-fo…

The Japan-North Korea relationship is complicated, coloured by security issues of course, but also the unresolved issue of 🇯🇵 citizens kidnapped by 🇰🇵. On this 🌟Japan Memo podcast, our brilliant experts Prof Chris Hughes, Naoko Aoki & Joseph Dempsey unpack 🇯🇵 🇰🇵 relations🎧👇

Many nuclear, missile, and abduction issues bedevil Japan–North Korea ties. I had the privilege of discussing these with Robert Ward, Joseph Dempsey, and Prof. Chris Hughes on the Japan Memo podcast by IISS News. Listen here: iiss.org/podcasts/japan…

Have you ever wondered how the Japanese defense budgeting process works? Chapter 4 of this recent RAND PPBE report delves into how it is formed and executed. Pretty certain it is the only thing like it in the English language! rand.org/pubs/research_…

‘Japan's policy is to solve the nuclear missile issue and the abduction issue’ – Dr Naoko Aoki. Naoko Aoki discusses Japan’s three main pillars towards North Korea: abduction, missile and nuclear issues. 🎧Tune in: go.iiss.org/4dFAABS

In this #JapanMemo episode, Professor Chris Hughes from University of Warwick, Naoko Aoki and Joseph Dempsey join Robert Ward to share their insights on Japan and North Korea. They discuss abductions, missiles and nuclear issues. 🎧: go.iiss.org/4dFAABS

I talked to Singapore's CNA about the upcoming China-Japan-South Korea summit. Bottomline: this is not going to change anyone's security calculus, but is nevertheless an important communication venue to manage relations. channelnewsasia.com/listen/daily-c…

The first Japan-China-South Korea trilateral summit since 2019 begins on Monday. "China is an important trade and investment partner for both Japan and South Korea," says Naoko Aoki. "It is important for all of the countries to manage their relations." japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/05/2…

The leaders of 🇯🇵🇰🇷🇨🇳met separately ahead of their trilateral summit. China and the U.S. allies remained apart on security. I told Bloomberg Politics the trilateral talks will not change their security calculus either, but is still important for managing ties. bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

In this Japan Memo episode, Professor Chris Hughes from University of Warwick, Naoko Aoki and Joseph Dempsey join Robert Ward to share their insights on Japan and North Korea. They discuss abductions, missiles and nuclear issues. #SLD24 | 🎧: go.iiss.org/4dFAABS

North Korea and Russia strengthened their military ties during Putin's visit to Pyongyang. Ahead of the talks, I talked to Voice of America about how Russia can help North Korea not just through technology, but also through sanctions-busting rocket fuel shipments. voanews.com/a/russian-pres…

I agree that we need to see the official text of the North Korea-Russia pact. We don't know what the nature of the "mutual assistance" is yet. It will most certainly cover the munitions shipments happening now, but does it also mean automatic military intervention? We will see.

A new US-ROK-Japan security deal "is substantial because it will deepen cooperation in important, material ways, and symbolic because it sends a message to potential adversaries about the closeness of the three countries' cooperation," says Naoko Aoki. japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/07/2…

The location of China's incursion into Japan's airspace may carry a message, says Naoko Aoki. "China claims control over a large area of the continental shelf in the East China Sea, and China may be making a point, challenging Japan's delineation method." yahoo.com/news/japan-say…

In my piece in National Interest , I predict that there will be more continuity than change in a potential Harris administration's North Korea policy. But broader geopolitical events that make North Korea a larger threat could lead to bolder changes. nationalinterest.org/blog/korea-wat…