Jeong Eui-yong, Director of National Security Office, Arrives in US... Korea-US-Japan High-Level Security Meeting Scheduled

Discussions Expected on North Korea Issues and Deployment to the Strait of Hormuz

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Chung Eui-yong, Director of the National Security Office at the Blue House, visited the United States on the 7th (local time) for a trilateral high-level security consultation between South Korea, the U.S., and Japan.

Director Chung arrived at Dulles International Airport near Washington D.C. on the morning of the same day. It is reported that he exited the airport through the VIP passage.

On the 8th, he is expected to hold a trilateral high-level security consultation with his U.S. counterpart, Robert O'Brien, U.S. National Security Advisor at the White House, and Shigeru Kitamura, Director of Japan’s National Security Secretariat.

This visit to the U.S. comes amid heightened tensions between North Korea and the U.S. following North Korea’s announcement of a 'shocking actual action,' and is expected to involve in-depth discussions on countermeasures toward North Korea, including ways to bring North Korea back to the nuclear negotiation table.

President Moon Jae-in expressed in his New Year's address the urgent need to promote inter-Korean cooperation by announcing Kim Jong-un’s intention to revisit a visit to Seoul, drawing attention to possible consultations on advancing inter-Korean relations separately from the resumption of North Korea-U.S. dialogue.

Additionally, amid rising tensions between the U.S. and Iran following the U.S. operation to eliminate a key Iranian military figure, there is a possibility that military cooperation measures in the Middle East, including a U.S. request for South Korea to deploy troops to the Strait of Hormuz, will be discussed.

Harry Harris, U.S. Ambassador to South Korea, stated, "South Korea also obtains a lot of energy resources from the Middle East," and expressed hope that South Korea would send troops there, indicating South Korea’s willingness to deploy forces to the Strait of Hormuz.

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This meeting is also the first trilateral high-level security consultation between South Korea, the U.S., and Japan held after the sharp conflicts surrounding the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) have somewhat eased.

Kyodo News reported that the meeting was initially planned for last month but was postponed due to differences over GSOMIA, and was revived following the atmosphere of dialogue created by the South Korea-Japan summit on December 24 last year.

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