Ryo Hinata-Yamaguchi is a Project Assistant Professor at the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology of the University of Tokyo, and is concurrently an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Pacific Forum and a Senior Nonresident Fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Indo-Pacific Security Initiative in the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security. Ryo specializes in issues relating to defense, security, and transport governance in the Indo-Pacific, and is the author of the book "Defense Planning and Readiness of North Korea: Armed to Rule" (2021).
Deployment of nuclear arms and a few new ships can’t overcome antiquated technology and decades of poor defense planning
US has strong military ties with its Asian allies, but Japan and South Korea have far less experience working together
New capabilities could spy on military bases and even assassinate targets, though much about weapons remains unknown
Shortcomings in missile tracking have led to mistakes in past, but success will depend on sustained cooperation with US
Normalizing intel sharing pact important step for Seoul and Tokyo but must be a starting point for future cooperation
But questionable planning and resource allocation may hamstring wartime operations for North Korean ballistic missiles
ROK military showed off range of assets over the weekend but faces evolving DPRK capabilities and internal challenges
Tokyo embracing new measures to reconfigure national security strategies while boosting Self-Defense Force capabilities
Technology will be essential for future defenses against DPRK weapons, but significant technical hurdles remain
New capability might allow Tokyo to play a bigger role in alliance with US, but efficacy beyond that is less certain
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