US - Japan - Korea institutionalize cooperation, Tokyo and Seoul solve defense problems

At the meeting, diplomats from South Korea, the United States and Japan strongly condemned North Korea's recent missile and satellite launches and reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. According to Yonhap, citing a joint statement after the meeting, the United States, Japan and South Korea called on North Korea to engage in "substantive dialogue without preconditions."

From left, Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Masataka Okano, US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun meet in Rappahannock, US, on May 31, 2024.

US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell reaffirmed the US commitment to the defense of South Korea and Japan as "ironclad," while reaffirming the US commitment to strengthen extended deterrence with the two Asian allies, including nuclear, according to the statement.

On the Taiwan issue, the three senior officials of the US, Japan and South Korea stressed the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable factor for security and prosperity in the international community, according to the joint statement. In addition, the three officials also strongly opposed any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the Indo- Pacific region and illegal maritime claims in the East Sea.

To further institutionalize trilateral cooperation, US, Japanese and South Korean officials will establish a permanent secretariat to enhance engagement, align policies and enhance three-way cooperation. “The purpose of the coordinating body is to ensure that we maintain momentum in the important work of this trilateral group, as the three countries explore new areas of cooperation not only in Northeast Asia but globally,” Deputy Secretary Campbell stressed.

Previously, the leaders of the three countries held a trilateral summit at Camp David (USA) in August 2023, overcoming historical tensions between Japan and South Korea. Mr. Campbell said the talks between the three-party diplomatic officials on May 31 were part of the preparation for the trilateral summit between South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio later this year.

Japan - South Korea improve defense relations

In another development, Japanese Defense Minister Kihara Minoru and his South Korean counterpart Shin Won-sik agreed on June 1 to take measures to prevent radar lock incidents at a meeting on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, according to Kyodo.

Japanese Defense Minister Kihara Minoru (left) and his South Korean counterpart Shin Won-sik hold talks on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on June 1, 2024.

NIKKEI ASIA SCREENSHOT

Previously, defense exchanges between Japan and South Korea were almost "frozen" for nearly five years surrounding the issue of Tokyo accusing a South Korean destroyer of locking its fire control radar on an SDF patrol aircraft in Japan's exclusive economic zone in December 2018.

The two defense ministers affirmed that the Japan Self-Defense Forces (SDF) and the South Korean military will resume formal high-level exchanges and draft a document on preventive steps to ensure safety in maritime encounters, amid improved bilateral relations.

The meeting comes as the Japanese and South Korean governments seek to normalize defense exchanges, recognizing the need to cooperate to address nuclear and missile threats from North Korea. Kihara said both Tokyo and Seoul must work to increase real-time information sharing on North Korean ballistic missile launches in cooperation with the United States.

According to Kyodo, the defense ministers of Japan, the US and South Korea also plan to hold a meeting on June 2 on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/my-nhat-han-the-che-hoa-hop-tac-tokyo-va-seoul-go-roi-quoc-phong-18524060207391701.htm