안보위기 인식에 따른 일본 국방전략의 역사적 고찰 = A Study on Defense Strategy According to Japan's Perception of Security Crisis in Northeast Asia

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study reviewed Japan's security strategy through recognizing the security crisis in Northeast Asia after modern times in order to consider the national security strategy decided by Japan on December 16, 2022. By comparing the profit line during the Meiji period, discussions on rearmament after defeat, and the decision process of the national security strategy for 2022, Japan's response to security crises was analyzed and its impact on peace in Northeast Asia was considered. Recently, Japan recognizes that it is currently facing 'the most difficult and complex security environment after the war' due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, China's pursuit of national interests, and the escalating threat from North Korea. And, in the National Security Strategy, Japan decided to have a 'counterattack capability' that can attack enemy missile bases when Japan is invaded, and to increase defense spending to more than 2% of GDP five years later. This active security policy existed even during the Meiji period. By applying the ‘sovereign line’ meaning the Japanese mainland and the ‘profit line’ to ensure its safety, the ‘profit line’ was expanded from Joseon to Manchuria and East Asia, and was used as a logic for territorial expansion during the Asia-Pacific War. However, in the midst of intensifying confrontation, a threatening strategy change for the sake of national security could lead to a new escalation of confrontation. Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which brought about the end of the post-Cold War era, is demanding another security value. At this point, Japan's aggressive security strategy can be perceived as another threat to the security of Northeast Asia, so we need to be more cautious.