South Korea, U.S., and Japan Reaffirm Korean Peninsula Denuclearization in First Meeting in Two Weeks... Also Discuss South China Sea

The top diplomats of South Korea, the United States, and Japan met on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting to reaffirm their commitment to the principle of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and agreed to maintain a robust deterrence posture against North Korea. They also exchanged views on the regional situation, including disputes in the South China Sea.

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun (left), U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (center), and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi held a trilateral foreign ministers' meeting of South Korea, the United States, and Japan on the 22nd in Manila, Philippines. Courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

On July 22 in Manila, Philippines, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held a trilateral foreign ministers' meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi. This was the first meeting between the ministers in about two weeks since they last gathered during the NATO Summit on July 7.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the three ministers shared their assessments of recent developments on the Korean Peninsula and reaffirmed their stance to maintain the principle of denuclearization and a strong deterrence posture against North Korea. They agreed to continue close coordination on North Korea policy, and to maintain communication and cooperation to uphold peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and diplomacy.

The ministers also exchanged perspectives on the situation in key regions and globally, including Northeast Asia and the Middle East. They agreed on the need to further strengthen communication and policy coordination among South Korea, the United States, and Japan amid growing uncertainty in international affairs.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "The three ministers exchanged opinions on the regional situation, including attempts to unilaterally change the status quo," adding, "They also reaffirmed the importance of upholding international law as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, ensuring freedom of navigation and overflight, and the lawful use of oceans, as well as enhancing maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region, including Southeast Asia."

Although not mentioned explicitly, the "attempts to unilaterally change the status quo" is interpreted as referring to China's moves to expand its territorial claims in the South China Sea. On July 12, 14 countries, including the United States, Japan, the Philippines, and Australia, issued a joint statement criticizing these efforts by China. At that time, South Korea did not participate in the joint statement but released a separate statement in the name of its ambassador to the Philippines.

In the field of economic security, the three countries agreed to deepen practical cooperation in areas such as nuclear energy, critical minerals, and key and emerging technologies. On July 7, they signed a memorandum of cooperation (MOC) to support the introduction of small modular reactors (SMRs) in Indo-Pacific countries.

Plans are also in place to expand cooperation on advanced technology protection, diversification and resilience of supply chains, responses to economic coercion, and Arctic security, with follow-up consultations to be held. In addition, the three foreign ministers agreed to enhance cooperation regarding transnational crime response, disaster relief, and humanitarian assistance, and to continue discussions to achieve tangible outcomes in these areas.

Meanwhile, before the meeting, Foreign Minister Cho briefly held a conversation with U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker, and also had a separate discussion with Secretary Rubio on the occasion of the meeting.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.