S. Korea, US, Japan reaffirm 'strong' NK deterrence in high-level diplomatic talks
They shared the view during the three-way dialogue in Tokyo, where First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo was joined by US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and their Japanese counterpart, Takehiro Funakoshi.
It marked the first vice foreign ministerial talks since the launch of the Lee Jae Myung government and the second Donald Trump administration.
"The vice foreign ministers reaffirmed the importance of maintaining strong deterrence against North Korea's nuclear threats through trilateral cooperation amid the evolving security environment," South Korea's foreign ministry said in a release.
"They agreed to continue enhancing trilateral security cooperation based on the solid bilateral alliances ... and to work closely together to make progress on North Korea-related issues," it said.
Park used the talks to explain Seoul's efforts to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula and resume dialogue under the Lee government, the ministry said.
Friday's meeting followed the three-way dialogue that took place among Park, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya on the sidelines of ASEAN-related foreign ministers meetings in Malaysia last week.
Recalling the meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Park stressed that trilateral cooperation among the three nations is expanding beyond a single field to encompass security, the economy and technology.
Park noted that the three countries have much to achieve together in the years ahead, adding that they share the responsibility to turn the potential of their cooperation into tangible outcomes.
The three countries exchanged views on regional developments and agreed to continue efforts to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.
Recognizing economic security as an area where the people of the three countries can directly feel the benefits, they agreed to further enhance practical cooperation in key and emerging technologies, especially in critical minerals, supply chains and artificial intelligence.
They also noted the developments in their trilateral partnership framework, such as the launch of the trilateral secretariat, and agreed to sustain momentum in the partnership through regular dialogue.
The last vice foreign ministers' meeting among the three countries took place in Seoul in October last year.
On the margins of the trilateral talks, Park separately met with Landau and discussed bilateral relations and ongoing tariff negotiations, the ministry said.
They committed to "making diplomatic efforts and providing support to achieve mutually beneficial and win-win outcomes in the ongoing tariff negotiations," the ministry said.
During the talks, Park expressed hope that the allies would work together to further deepen and develop the alliance across a wide range of areas, including diplomacy, security, the economy and trade, as well as advanced technologies.
Landau, in turn, reaffirmed the US' ironclad commitment to the alliance and to the Indo-Pacific region, expressing his desire to continue working closely with Park going forward.
They also reaffirmed their shared goal of the complete denuclearization of North Korea and agreed to maintain close communication and cooperation to make progress on North Korea-related issues.
Park went on to stress the importance of continued consultations at all levels, including at the leaders' level, to address bilateral issues. Agreeing to Park's point, Landau said he will make every effort in that regard.
Ahead of his talks with his US counterpart, Park met one-on-one with Funakoshi to discuss bilateral relations and other related issues, including North Korea.
Park told Funakoshi that South Korea will continue to build a "firm and mature relationship with Japan based on mutual respect and trust," the ministry said.
They agreed on the need for closer coordination in addressing various common issues amid the complex international landscape, and to explore ways to produce tangible outcomes in their cooperation as they continue the positive momentum in bilateral ties.
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