South Korea, US, Japan Reaffirm Trilateral Cooperation, but Subtle Differences Emerge on China and North Korea

▲ Foreign Minister Cho Hyun (from left), US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi pose for a commemorative photo during the South Korea-US-Japan foreign ministers' meeting held on the sidelines of ASEAN-related foreign ministers' meetings at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Manila on the 22nd. (Photo: Yonhap News)

The foreign ministers of South Korea, the United States, and Japan met again in two weeks, emphasizing the delivery of a united message and stronger cooperation among the three nations.

However, subtle differences emerged in how each country referred to China and North Korea in their respective press releases following the meeting.

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held a trilateral meeting today (the 22nd) with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi in Manila, the Philippines.

Following the talks, the foreign ministries of South Korea and Japan, along with the US Department of State, each released press statements detailing the results of the meeting.

While all three countries reaffirmed their commitment to cooperation on peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, maritime security, and North Korean issues, their specific wording and emphasis varied.

First, South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "The three ministers exchanged views on regional situations, including attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo."

It also explained that they reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening maritime security and complying with international law reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, such as freedom of navigation and overflight in the Indo-Pacific region, including Southeast Asia.

Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs similarly announced that the three ministers discussed ways to engage with Southeast Asian countries along with "regional situations, including attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo by force or coercion," and agreed to cooperate closely.

"Attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo by force or coercion" is an expression the three countries have primarily used to target China, which has expanded its military and maritime activities in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, without explicitly naming a specific nation.

Considering the recent escalation of conflict between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea, it is interpreted that China's maritime activities were handled as a key agenda item in this meeting as well.

However, the US Department of State released additional content more directly targeting China compared to the announcements from South Korea and Japan.

The US State Department stated that the three ministers "emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait."

The press releases from South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not separately include the term "Taiwan Strait."

The US State Department also announced that the three ministers expressed concern over the lack of sufficient prior notification regarding China's recent ballistic missile launch into the Pacific.

This content was also omitted from the press releases of South Korea and Japan.

Although they attended the same meeting, the United States highlighted China's specific military actions and the Taiwan Strait issue, whereas South Korea and Japan put forward broader expressions such as compliance with international law and opposition to unilateral changes to the status quo.

The South Korean government was reportedly given prior notice by the Chinese side at the time of China's missile launch, and subsequently stated that "South Korea and China are closely communicating on various issues."

Regarding the missile launch itself, Seoul maintained a principled stance, stating that it is "closely monitoring related trends" or "hoping that peace and stability in the region will be maintained."

In contrast, the United States publicly raised the issue that China's prior notification was insufficient.

This sense of concern from the US side appears to have been discussed during the trilateral foreign ministers' meeting and reflected in the US State Department's announcement.

Differences also appeared in expressions surrounding North Korea's denuclearization.

The US State Department stated that the three ministers emphasized their shared commitment to the "complete denuclearization of North Korea."

Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs similarly announced, "We reaffirmed the three countries' commitment toward the complete denuclearization of North Korea in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolutions."

"Complete denuclearization of North Korea" is an expression that was also included in the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Chairman's Statement last year.

While the intensity of the expression is lower than the so-called CVID (complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization) previously used by South Korea, the US, and Japan, it has the characteristic of clearly defining North Korea as the target of denuclearization.

On the other hand, South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "We reaffirmed our stance to maintain a robust defense posture against the North while adhering to the principle of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."

Unlike the US and Japan, which emphasized the "complete denuclearization of North Korea," South Korea used the phrase "principle of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."

This is interpreted as reflecting the South Korean government's North Korea policy stance, which emphasizes the resumption of dialogue with North Korea and peaceful coexistence while maintaining the denuclearization principle and trilateral security cooperation.

Ultimately, South Korea, the US, and Japan confirmed a unified stance within the broad framework of cooperation on regional security and the North Korean issue.

However, in the process of explaining the meeting results to their citizens and the international community, the United States explicitly pinpointed China and North Korea, while South Korea appeared to adjust the level of its language, taking into consideration relations with China and the possibility of inter-Korean dialogue.

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