Trilateral Meeting of South Korea, US, and Japan Foreign Ministers in Brazil... "Strict Response to North Korea-Russia Military Cooperation"

G20 Summit Hosts ROK-US-Japan Foreign Ministers Meeting
Condemning North Korea-Russia Military Cooperation... Strengthening Security Cooperation
Blinken: "Closest Allies, Cooperation Is Crucial"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 22nd (local time), the foreign ministers of South Korea, the United States, and Japan met in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where the Group of Twenty (G20) Foreign Ministers' Meeting was held, to discuss ways to strengthen trilateral cooperation. The foreign ministers emphasized that the military cooperation between North Korea and Russia poses a serious threat to international peace and agreed to further enhance security cooperation to respond to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 23rd, Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yeol held a trilateral foreign ministers' meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko for about an hour in the early morning Korean time. This was the seventh trilateral foreign ministers' meeting under the Yoon Seok-yeol administration and the first in about three months since the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministerial Meeting last November.

The three ministers emphasized that the military cooperation between North Korea and Russia poses a serious threat not only to the Korean Peninsula but also to international peace and stability, and agreed to continue to respond strictly in coordination with the international community. They strongly urged North Korea, which has recently continued hostile rhetoric and military provocations, to return to the path of denuclearization.

They reaffirmed that the trilateral summit held at Camp David, U.S., in August last year opened a new era of trilateral cooperation and reviewed the implementation status of follow-up measures in various fields. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained, "They evaluated that trilateral security cooperation to effectively respond to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats has been significantly strengthened," and "Based on last year's achievements, such as the operation of a real-time sharing system for North Korean missile warning information, they agreed to further enhance response capabilities this year."

Amid growing concerns about North Korea's illegal cyber activities ahead of next month's general elections, the foreign ministers of South Korea, the United States, and Japan agreed to continue close cooperation on cyber security, blocking funding for nuclear and missile programs, and promoting North Korean human rights. They also exchanged views on global issues such as the recent instability in the Middle East and the situation in Ukraine.

This was the first time that Minister Cho, who took office last month, held a trilateral foreign ministers' meeting. In his opening remarks, Minister Cho said, "This year marks the 30th anniversary of the first trilateral summit among South Korea, the United States, and Japan held in 1994," and added, "This meeting will be a symbolic milestone in our shared journey." Secretary Blinken said, "Regional challenges are increasing, including North Korea's provocative actions and military cooperation with Russia, as well as China's increasingly aggressive behavior," and emphasized, "Our cooperation and coordination as the closest allies are more important than ever."

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