Japan-US Foreign Ministers Express Serious Concern Over North Korea's Nuclear and Missile Threats: "Strengthening Deterrence Essential"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The foreign ministers of the United States and Japan have shared serious concerns about North Korea's nuclear and missile development and agreed to jointly address the issue. The two countries are expected to strengthen military cooperation aimed at countering China, based on their joint response to the North Korean nuclear threat.

According to Japanese media including NHK on the 11th, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi held a bilateral meeting ahead of the Quad foreign ministers' meeting in Melbourne, a military alliance aimed at countering China.

At the meeting, the two ministers stated, "We share serious concerns about North Korea's nuclear and missile development, including ballistic missile launches, and recognize that strengthening the deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan-U.S. alliance is essential in light of the increasingly severe security environment." They also emphasized, "We strongly oppose unilateral changes to the status quo by force or economic coercion by China, which is pursuing maritime expansion, and will cooperate closely." The two ministers also agreed to discuss and coordinate the schedule for U.S. President Joe Biden's visit to Japan in the first half of the year.

In his opening remarks, Secretary Blinken said, "I want to use this opportunity to discuss the various challenges facing the United States and Japan," to which Minister Hayashi responded, "We will continue close communication to elevate the Japan-U.S. alliance to a new height."

Regarding the situation in Ukraine, the two ministers expressed serious concern over the buildup of Russian forces near Ukraine's borders, reaffirmed their consistent support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and agreed to cooperate closely in response.

After the Quad foreign ministers' meeting, the two ministers are scheduled to travel to Hawaii on the 12th to meet with Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong. This meeting, the first separate gathering of the foreign ministers of the three countries?South Korea, the U.S., and Japan?is expected to discuss countermeasures regarding North Korea's repeated missile launches and related issues.

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