US-ROK-Japan Foreign Ministers Meeting Shows 'Blueprint' for US-ROK Summit...Will It Draw North Korea into Dialogue?

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] The foreign ministers of South Korea, the United States, and Japan gathered in one place and agreed to strengthen cooperation for the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. This meeting is seen as having drawn the broad 'blueprint' ahead of the upcoming U.S. government's North Korea policy announcement and the South Korea-U.S. summit. However, the South Korea-Japan foreign ministers, meeting for the first time since Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong took office, only confirmed the difficult-to-overcome differences in their positions.

On the 5th (local time), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the foreign ministers of the three countries held talks in London during the G7 Foreign and Development Ministers' Meeting and agreed to strengthen cooperation for substantial progress toward the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the establishment of lasting peace.

At the meeting, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken explained the Biden administration's review results of North Korea policy to South Korea and Japan, and the three ministers agreed to closely communicate and cooperate in the future process of implementing North Korea policy. Earlier, in the South Korea-U.S. foreign ministers' meeting, Minister Chung expressed that he "welcomes the results of the U.S. review of North Korea policy," and Japan also showed a positive response, which was reaffirmed. The three foreign ministers also discussed ways to bring North Korea to the dialogue table.

This South Korea-U.S.-Japan foreign ministers' meeting is interpreted as a preview of the soon-to-be-announced U.S. North Korea policy review results and the 'blueprint' for the South Korea-U.S. summit scheduled to be held in the U.S. on the 21st. It reflects the U.S. plan to closely coordinate and cooperate with its allies to bring North Korea to the dialogue table, and partially incorporates South Korea's 'Korean Peninsula Peace Process,' which aims to promote inter-Korean dialogue through North Korea-U.S. talks. It is expected that President Moon Jae-in will also reaffirm his intention to closely cooperate with President Biden in resolving the North Korean nuclear issue through dialogue.

However, it is uncertain whether North Korea will engage in dialogue as the U.S. intends. Previously, North Korea issued a statement under the name of Kwon Jong-geun, director of the U.S. affairs department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, opposing President Biden's North Korea policy direction and the U.S. raising human rights issues. Professor Yang Moo-jin of the University of North Korean Studies advised, "The message from North Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Director Kwon is 'Please recognize North Korea as a state.' The U.S. should not infringe on North Korea's system or dignity, and when engaging in dialogue with North Korea, human rights issues should be set aside."

Meanwhile, shortly after the South Korea-U.S.-Japan foreign ministers' meeting, Minister Chung and Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi met briefly and agreed on "developing South Korea-Japan relations in a future-oriented manner," but only reiterated their existing positions on the comfort women issue and the Fukushima nuclear wastewater issue, failing to reach substantial agreements.

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