The South Korea-US-Japan Defense Ministers Meeting Likely to Be Canceled

Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo is attending the Task Force meeting on expanding housing supply held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 4th. Photo by Kang Jin-hyeong aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The trilateral defense ministers' meeting among South Korea, the United States, and Japan, which was expected to be held at the end of this month, appears to be canceled.

On the 21st, the Ministry of National Defense stated, "Due to the impact of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) and scheduling conflicts among the countries, we have not been able to set a suitable meeting date that works for all three parties," adding, "Consultations are ongoing."

It is known that the United States proposed holding the trilateral defense ministers' meeting on the 29th of this month in Guam, a U.S. territory, to South Korea and Japan.

However, considering the domestic situation such as the nationwide spread of COVID-19, the Ministry of National Defense has reportedly reached a de facto conclusion to not participate in the defense ministers' meeting. It is also realistically difficult for the defense minister to be absent due to overseas travel during the national emergency caused by COVID-19 and then undergo a two-week self-quarantine upon return.

Therefore, it seems highly likely that only the U.S.-Japan defense ministers' meeting, excluding South Korea, will be held at the end of this month. It is known that the government initially proposed holding the trilateral defense meeting involving Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo of South Korea, U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, and Japan's Defense Minister Kono Taro (河野太郞) last May.

The Ministry of National Defense explained, "Recognizing the importance of trilateral security cooperation, we have been closely consulting with the U.S. and Japan regarding the holding of the trilateral ministers' meeting."

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