Choi Jong-geon: "Japan Notified Non-attendance at Joint Press Conference Citing Visit to Dokdo by Korean National Police Agency Chief"

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] Choi Jong-geon, First Vice Foreign Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated on the 17th (local time) regarding the cancellation of the joint press conference of the Korea-U.S.-Japan deputy foreign ministers, “The Japanese side conveyed that they could not participate in the conference due to the issue of our National Police Agency chief's visit to Dokdo.”

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Vice Minister Choi made these remarks during a press briefing with correspondents after the Korea-U.S.-Japan deputy ministers' meeting at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Washington DC.

Vice Minister Choi explained, “We agreed that the host country, the United States, would disclose the results of the Korea-U.S.-Japan deputy ministers' meeting through a solo press conference,” adding, “This was because there was a recognition of the importance of the Korea-U.S.-Japan deputy ministers' meeting.”

Originally, the Korea-U.S.-Japan deputy foreign ministers were scheduled to hold talks at the State Department and hold a joint press conference on the same day, but only Wendy Sherman, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, attended.

Deputy Secretary Sherman explained that the format was changed due to disagreements between Japan and South Korea unrelated to the trilateral talks.

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