Biden and Suga Summit... "Importance of ROK-US-Japan Cooperation for North Korea Response"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Dongwoo Lee] Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga stated that during the summit with U.S. President Joe Biden, they confirmed the importance of trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the United States, and Japan regarding North Korea.

Prime Minister Suga said at a joint press conference held after the U.S.-Japan summit at the White House in Washington D.C. on the 16th (local time), "We agreed on the recognition that trilateral cooperation among Japan, the U.S., and South Korea has become unprecedentedly important for responding to North Korea and for peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, and decided to promote such cooperation."

Regarding North Korea, Prime Minister Suga said in the NHK-broadcasted conference, "We agreed to strongly demand North Korea's commitment to CVID (Complete, Verifiable, and Irreversible Denuclearization) of weapons of mass destruction and all kinds of ballistic missiles, and to comply with obligations based on United Nations Security Council resolutions."

He also explained that the abduction of Japanese citizens by North Korea is "a serious human rights issue, and Japan and the U.S. reaffirmed their cooperation to demand an immediate resolution from North Korea."

Prime Minister Suga added, "We agreed to oppose any attempts to change the status quo by force in the East China Sea or South China Sea, and intimidation of other countries in the region."

He said, "We discussed the situation surrounding Taiwan and the Xinjiang Uyghur region, and the U.S. and Japan agreed on the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait."

Furthermore, he elaborated on the two countries' China policy direction, stating, "Each side needs to have frank dialogue with China, and when doing so, we agreed that it is necessary to uphold universal values while pursuing stability in international relations."

Prime Minister Suga emphasized that President Biden expressed his commitment to Japan's defense, including confirming that the Senkaku Islands (called Diaoyu Islands in Chinese), a disputed territory between China and Japan, fall under Article 5 of the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty, which stipulates the U.S. obligation to defend Japan.

Prime Minister Suga himself expressed his determination to host the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics as a symbol of global unity, and President Biden reaffirmed his support for this.

Regarding COVID-19, Prime Minister Suga introduced discussions on promoting multilateral cooperation from the perspective of ensuring equitable access to vaccines for developing countries and others.