▲ Foreign Minister Cho Hyun (left), U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi pose for a commemorative photo during the trilateral foreign ministers' meeting held on the sidelines of ASEAN-related foreign ministers' meetings at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Manila, Philippines, on the 22nd.
The foreign ministers of South Korea, the United States, and Japan met in Manila, Philippines, to discuss regional situations and maritime security issues, including attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo.
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi held a trilateral foreign ministers' meeting today (the 22nd) and exchanged views on regional and global situations, economic security, and Korean Peninsula issues.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a press release on the results of the trilateral foreign ministers' meeting today, stating that the three ministers exchanged views on regional dynamics, including attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo.
The ministry also explained that they reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening maritime security and complying with international law as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, such as the freedom of navigation and overflight and the lawful use of the oceans in the Indo-Pacific region, including Southeast Asia.
"Attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo" is a diplomatic expression commonly used to refer to moves by China to change the existing order through force or coercion in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.
While China was not explicitly named, the meeting is interpreted as South Korea, the United States, and Japan reaffirming their stance of keeping China in check by emphasizing freedom of navigation and compliance with international law, amid heightened tensions from recent physical clashes between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea.
However, the intensity of the rhetoric was lower compared to past trilateral joint statements.
The joint statement from the 2023 Camp David trilateral summit explicitly addressed dangerous and aggressive behavior supporting unlawful maritime claims by China in the South China Sea, and stated strong opposition to attempts to unilaterally change the status quo.
It also expressed firm opposition to coercive behavior.
The 2024 trilateral summit joint statement similarly specified strong opposition to attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo in Indo-Pacific waters, as well as opposition to unlawful maritime claims and coercive behavior in the South China Sea.
However, the materials distributed by South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding this meeting did not contain direct mentions of China or the expression "opposition," noting only that they exchanged views on related issues and reaffirmed their commitment to freedom of navigation and compliance with international law.
This is interpreted as adjusting the level of diplomatic rhetoric to account for relations with Beijing while maintaining the basic direction of keeping China in check.
Meanwhile, a separate bilateral foreign ministers' meeting between South Korea and China was not pursued on the occasion of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).
In the area of economic security, the trilateral foreign ministers agreed to expand cooperation for supply chain diversification and resilience, and to counter economic coercion.
They also agreed to deepen practical cooperation in the fields of nuclear energy, critical minerals, and advanced technologies.
Regarding the Korean Peninsula issue, they reaffirmed their stance of upholding the principle of the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and maintaining a robust readiness for deterrence against North Korea.
In addition, they agreed to closely coordinate for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and diplomacy.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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