North Korea Could Attack South Korea if China Invades Taiwan: Report
North Korea could use a Chinese communist invasion of Taiwan to launch its own assault on South Korea, according to a new report. The United States will need to help South Korea better integrate into bilateral and minilateral agreements to deter such a threat, says a report published by The Center for a New American Security think tank. “Washington has declared China to be the only country with both the intent to reshape the regional and global order and the power across every dimension to do it,” the report says. “In South Korea… the policy debate about China is likewise growing in importance and urgency, and potentially shifting away from legacy paradigms that prioritized partnership and economic engagement with Beijing and downplayed geopolitical differences.” Central to this break with longstanding policy is South Korea’s fear of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) aggression towards Taiwan and other powers in the Indo-Pacific, which South Korea sees as a increasingly destabilizing force, the report says. Importantly, if the CCP were to invade Taiwan and draw the United States and all its resources into the conflict, the report says, North Korea could capitalize on America’s distraction and launch an attack on South Korea. “China’s military assertiveness elsewhere in Asia, particularly mounting pressure on Taiwan, also drives [South Korean] unease about Beijing’s ambitions to revise the regional order,” the report says. “Seoul worries that the United States responding to military aggression from China against Taiwan could occupy U.S. resources and attention, prompting North Korea to use that opportunity to attack South Korea.” US Should Integrate South Korea into ‘Multilateral Institutions’ The report found that, while “Beijing enabling North Korea” is an immense challenge for the United States and South Korea, there was also much opportunity to increase cooperation to improve regional security. “The threat from North Korea continues to be severe… but in general we wanted to look with a broader lens,” said report co-author Jacob Stokes during an April 4 launch event. “This was important given that the United States now considers China the pacing challenge.” To that end, Stokes highlighted that the report encourages that the United States should assist the further integration of South Korea with bilateral and unilateral cooperation efforts, particularly in the defense space. “Washington should support Seoul’s ambitions to work more closely with major democracies, including as an informal aligned country or part of ‘plus’ formats for the G7, NATO, and the Quad,” the report said. “In addition, Washington and Seoul should look for opportunities to work together in multilateral institutions toward specific ends, especially where traditional processes are blocked.”
North Korea could use a Chinese communist invasion of Taiwan to launch its own assault on South Korea, according to a new report.
The United States will need to help South Korea better integrate into bilateral and minilateral agreements to deter such a threat, says a report published by The Center for a New American Security think tank.
“Washington has declared China to be the only country with both the intent to reshape the regional and global order and the power across every dimension to do it,” the report says.
“In South Korea… the policy debate about China is likewise growing in importance and urgency, and potentially shifting away from legacy paradigms that prioritized partnership and economic engagement with Beijing and downplayed geopolitical differences.”
Central to this break with longstanding policy is South Korea’s fear of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) aggression towards Taiwan and other powers in the Indo-Pacific, which South Korea sees as a increasingly destabilizing force, the report says.
Importantly, if the CCP were to invade Taiwan and draw the United States and all its resources into the conflict, the report says, North Korea could capitalize on America’s distraction and launch an attack on South Korea.
“China’s military assertiveness elsewhere in Asia, particularly mounting pressure on Taiwan, also drives [South Korean] unease about Beijing’s ambitions to revise the regional order,” the report says.
“Seoul worries that the United States responding to military aggression from China against Taiwan could occupy U.S. resources and attention, prompting North Korea to use that opportunity to attack South Korea.”
US Should Integrate South Korea into ‘Multilateral Institutions’
The report found that, while “Beijing enabling North Korea” is an immense challenge for the United States and South Korea, there was also much opportunity to increase cooperation to improve regional security.
“The threat from North Korea continues to be severe… but in general we wanted to look with a broader lens,” said report co-author Jacob Stokes during an April 4 launch event.
“This was important given that the United States now considers China the pacing challenge.”
To that end, Stokes highlighted that the report encourages that the United States should assist the further integration of South Korea with bilateral and unilateral cooperation efforts, particularly in the defense space.
“Washington should support Seoul’s ambitions to work more closely with major democracies, including as an informal aligned country or part of ‘plus’ formats for the G7, NATO, and the Quad,” the report said.
“In addition, Washington and Seoul should look for opportunities to work together in multilateral institutions toward specific ends, especially where traditional processes are blocked.”