Trilateral Cooperation among South Korea, the United States, and India: Policy Agenda

Key Chapter Title List

1. Opportunities to Strengthen the ROK-US-India Trilateral Strategic Partnership
2. Chips, Chains, and Strategic Convergence: The Trilateral from an Indian Perspective
3. Forging Strategic Synergy: Deepening ROK-US-India Cooperation Amid Global Uncertainty
4. Anti-Fragile Supply Chains in a Fragile World: Deepening US Strategic Cooperation with India and the ROK
5. Prospects for a Trilateral Technology Dialogue
6. Pathways to Strengthening ROK-US-India Trilateral Cooperation
7. ROK-US-India Trilateral Economic Cooperation in Times of Trade Turbulence
8. Exploring New Horizons in India-ROK Relations
9. The Deeper Meaning: ROK-US-India Trilateral Cooperation
10. The Strange Trio

Document Introduction

As regional competition intensifies, affecting the stability and security of the Indo-Pacific, supply chain resilience, maritime security, and access to critical and emerging technologies have become national security priorities for the United States, India, and the Republic of Korea (ROK). Although the economies of the three countries remain highly interconnected with and dependent on China, this dependence exposes their strategic vulnerabilities, threatening economic prosperity and technological sovereignty. Against this backdrop, a new informal trilateral dialogue initiative was announced during the ROK-US National Security Advisor meeting in December 2023, aiming to institutionalize cooperation and collaboration on strategic issues, particularly regarding critical and emerging technology supply chains. This report, published by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in October 2025, brings together thematic articles from leading experts and scholars from India, the ROK, and the United States, systematically examining the prospects, challenges, and specific policy agenda for ROK-US-India trilateral cooperation.

The report's content is organized around three core themes. The first part focuses on "Opportunities to Strengthen the ROK-US-India Trilateral Strategic Partnership," exploring the context of converging strategic trajectories among the three countries. The articles analyze how India views the trilateral mechanism as an alliance to shape norms and enhance strategic autonomy, how the ROK positions itself as a "global pivotal state," and how the United States seeks to diversify its technology and defense partnerships in Asia. This section emphasizes that trilateral cooperation can converge India's manufacturing potential, the ROK's semiconductor and battery expertise, and American capital and R&D capabilities to collectively enhance the resilience of supply chains in areas such as semiconductors, electric vehicles, and critical minerals.

The second part delves into "Synergizing Trilateral Cooperation on Supply Chain Resilience and Economic Security." The report points out that in the face of China's dominance and "weaponization" of key supply chain segments, along with global trade disruptions, the three countries need to build small multilateral frameworks in areas such as pharmaceutical supply chains, defense industries, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, space, quantum technology, and digital public infrastructure. Multiple authors propose specific pathways for cooperation, including adopting a hybrid "carrot and stick" approach, establishing joint stockpiles and contingency protocols, promoting collaboration on clean energy technologies like green hydrogen and small modular reactors, and jointly investing in critical mineral projects based on the principles of the "Mineral Security Partnership."

The third part is dedicated to "Forging a Strategic Partnership in Maritime Security, Connectivity, and Shipbuilding." The report identifies the complementarities and shared challenges for the three countries in this domain, particularly in responding to China's maritime power projection stretching from the North Pacific to the Indian Ocean. Proposed cooperation includes institutionalized joint military exercises and maritime security cooperation, establishing a global shipbuilding industry chain, conducting capacity-building cooperation in third countries, strengthening coordination on polar affairs, and developing a shared culture of "maritime statecraft." The report specifically notes that the ROK's superior shipbuilding capabilities, combined with India's vast market and human resources, and driven by U.S. demand and strategic impetus, present a unique opportunity to reshape the maritime power chain.

Based on detailed policy literature, official statements, and expert analysis, the report's contribution lies in moving beyond generalities to provide a practical roadmap for cooperation among the three countries at the intersection of technology, economics, and security. While acknowledging challenges such as the informal nature of the mechanism, trade frictions, differing technical standards, and considerations of strategic autonomy, the report's core argument is clear: at a time of profound evolution in the Indo-Pacific's geo-economic and geopolitical landscape, deepening the ROK-US-India trilateral strategic partnership is of increasingly urgent strategic necessity for building a free, open, inclusive, and resilient regional order.