US-ROK-Japan Joint Chiefs of Staff "US Reaffirms Extended Deterrence Commitment to ROK and Japan"

Trilateral Chiefs of Staff Meeting in Washington... Likely Discussed China and Taiwan Issues

From the front row left: Lee Young-su, Chief of Strategic Planning Headquarters, Joint Chiefs of Staff; Kim Seung-gyeom, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Mark Milley, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff; Yamazaki Koji, Chief of Staff, Joint Staff Office of Japan; Paul LaCamera, Commander of the Combined Forces Command (Photo by Joint Chiefs of Staff)

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The chiefs of staff of South Korea, the United States, and Japan met to discuss countermeasures against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.

On the 21st, the Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that amid escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula due to North Korea's successive provocations and signs of preparations for a 7th nuclear test, General Kim Seung-gyeom, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, held a trilateral meeting on the morning of the 20th (local time) in Washington D.C. with U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark A. Milley and Japan's Chief of Staff, Joint Staff Koji Yamazaki.

The chiefs of staff of South Korea, the U.S., and Japan discussed regional security challenges, including North Korea's recent missile activities and nuclear development programs that cause instability, and agreed to continue efforts to achieve denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. In particular, the mention of "regional security challenges" suggests that issues such as China's military expansion in the Asia-Pacific region and threats to Taiwan were also likely discussed.

Chairman Milley reaffirmed the United States' firm commitment to defend South Korea and Japan. The three chiefs emphasized the importance of effective bilateral, trilateral, and multilateral security cooperation and coordination to enhance security on the Korean Peninsula and in the region.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff stressed that "the ROK-U.S. alliance and the U.S.-Japan alliance are essential for peace and stability in the region, as well as for ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific."

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