Article

Rebuilding and Expanding US-ROK-Japan Trilateral Economic Relations

September 19, 2023

The 2023 Wilson Center Trilateral Commission

A map of the world with graphics representing the flags of the United States, Japan, and South Korea — Image Credit

In March 2023, the Wilson Center launched the senior-level Trilateral Commission for “Rebuilding and Expanding US-ROK-Japan Trilateral Economic Relations.” By bringing together 12 commission members in addition to the co-chairs, the commission seeks to explore ways to strengthen the US-ROK-Japan trilateral relationship amid the burgeoning détente between Seoul and Tokyo. The commission is honored to welcome Ambassador John Negroponte, Minister Sung-hwan Kim, and Ambassador Kenichiro Sasae to co-chair the Commission.

With the recent US-ROK-Japan Trilateral Summit at Camp David, the WWICS Trilateral Commission’s work is more salient than ever before. While security issues will be an important part of trilateral discussions, the commission focuses on economic policy. This initiative aims to provide stakeholders in Washington, Seoul, and Tokyo with actionable and practical policy recommendations to enhance economic security and achieve common goals, including supply chain resilience, secure access to critical technologies, decarbonization and energy security, outreach to the Global South, and enhanced trade opportunities.

In late 2023, the final commission report while be launched digitally and in-person at an international conference at the Wilson Center.

The Commission includes the follow distinguished experts:

Commission Co-Chairs

Ambassador John D. Negroponte

Chairman Emeritus of the Council of the Americas/Americas Society; Vice Chairman, McLarty Associates

Sung-Hwan Kim

President of Taejae Future Consensus Institute; Chairman of East Asia Foundation

Ambassador Kenichiro Sasae

President, the Japan Institute of International Affairs

Commission Members

Suh-Yong Chung

Professor of Division of International Studies, Korea University

Gerry Curtis

Burgess Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Columbia University

Wendy Cutler

Vice President, The Asia Society; Former Acting Deputy U.S. Trade Representative

Takako Hikotani

Adjunct Senior Research Scholar at the Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University

Chung Min Lee

Senior Fellow, Asia Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Jaemin Lee

Professor of Law at School of Law, Seoul National University

Narushige Michishita

Global Fellow, Former Japan Scholar;
Executive Vice President, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS)

Junya Nishino

Former Japan Scholar;
Professor, Faculty of Law at Keio University; Director of the Center for Contemporary Korean Studies, Keio University; and Director, Institute of East Asian Studies, Keio University

Miyeon Oh

Director and Senior Faculty Lead of Korea Studies, SAIS Johns Hopkins; Adjunct International Defense Researcher, RAND Corporation

James L. Schoff

Senior Director, US-Japan NEXT Alliance Initiative, Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA

Ambassador Koji Tsuruoka

President, International Affairs Research Institute; Formerly Ambassador to the UK (2016-2019)

Minister Myung-hee Yoo

Visiting Professor, Graduate School of International Studies, Seoul National University; Former ROK Trade Minister (2019-2021)

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