South Korea, US, Japan Reaffirm Denuclearization of Korean Peninsula… US Stresses Importance of Taiwan Strait

The foreign ministers of South Korea, the United States, and Japan reaffirmed their principle of the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula on the 22nd (local time) and agreed to strengthen trilateral cooperation on North Korea.

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi held a meeting that afternoon at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Manila, Philippines. The agenda included trilateral defense cooperation, strengthening maritime security, promoting energy security, responding to cyber threats, and advancing peace and stability across the Indo-Pacific, including Southeast Asia.

The meeting lasted for about 30 minutes, coming approximately two weeks after the previous trilateral foreign ministers' meeting held on the 7th in Ankara, Turkey, on the sidelines of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the three foreign ministers shared assessments of the recent situation on the Korean Peninsula and reaffirmed their stance to maintain a robust deterrence posture against North Korea while upholding the principle of the peninsula's denuclearization.

They also agreed to maintain close coordination regarding North Korea policy and cooperate to sustain peace and stability on the peninsula through dialogue and diplomacy.

In a press release, the US Department of State stated that the trilateral foreign ministers "reaffirmed the importance of maintaining a unified approach to North Korea" and "emphasized their shared commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea, continued coordination to address North Korea's cyber threats and illicit activities, and the immediate resolution of the abductions issue."

The three ministers discussed regional and global situations, including Northeast Asia and the Middle East, and shared the view that it is necessary to strengthen communication and policy coordination among South Korea, the US, and Japan amid growing uncertainties in the international landscape.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a press release that they "exchanged views on regional situations, including attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo, and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening maritime security and compliance with international law as 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."

The "attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo" mentioned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are believed to refer to China's efforts to expand its territorial claims in the South China Sea.

The US and Japan have argued that China's attempts to expand its territorial claims in the South China Sea are unjustified and have sought a joint response to the issue.

The State Department reported that the three ministers "emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait" and "expressed concern over China's recent intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch into the Pacific Ocean, noting a lack of sufficient advance notification."

It added that they promised "(South Korea, the US, and Japan's) joint opposition to economic coercion and the weaponization of supply chains, risk mitigation and diversification of critical supply chains," and "expanding trilateral discussions on Arctic issues, which are of growing strategic importance."

The three ministers agreed to continue consultations to expand cooperation and deliver concrete results in areas such as responding to transnational crimes including 'Southeast Asian scam centers,' disaster relief, and humanitarian assistance.

The State Department also explained that they discussed ways to begin deploying Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) in the Indo-Pacific region to implement the "Trilateral Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) on the Introduction of Third-Country Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)" signed in Ankara on the 7th.

Prior to the trilateral meeting, Minister Cho had a brief conversation of about 5 minutes with US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker, and also spoke separately with Secretary Rubio before and after the trilateral meeting.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minister Cho conveyed the concerns of South Korean international students regarding recent US visa restrictions to Secretary Rubio and asked him to pay special attention to the matter.

The two ministers likely exchanged views on major pending issues such as bilateral security consultations and investment in the US.


※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.