Cho Tae-yeol "Close Cooperation and Firm Response to Any North Korean Provocation"
Foreign ministers of South Korea, the United States, and Japan met in New York on the 23rd (local time) and agreed to continue close trilateral cooperation in response to the North Korean nuclear threat despite political leadership changes in the U.S. and Japan.
The foreign ministers of South Korea, the United States, and Japan held a trilateral foreign ministers' meeting in New York, USA, on the 23rd (local time). From the right: Cho Tae-yeol, Minister of Foreign Affairs of South Korea; Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State; and Kamikawa Yoko, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan. [Photo by New York Correspondents Joint Coverage Team]
On the afternoon of the same day, Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul held a trilateral foreign ministers' meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko to discuss the necessity of trilateral cooperation in response to North Korea's provocations and threats. The South Korea-U.S.-Japan foreign ministers' meeting was held for the first time in about seven months since it took place in Brazil during the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in February.
In his opening remarks at the meeting, Minister Cho said, "Today's meeting is evidence of our commitment to trilateral cooperation that remains steadfast even amid significant political events," adding, "It demonstrates our shared determination to closely cooperate and respond firmly to any provocations by North Korea." He further emphasized, "As members of the United Nations Security Council, this is an occasion for South Korea, the U.S., and Japan to pledge close cooperation to resolve international issues."
Secretary Blinken also stated, "Although Japan and the United States are undergoing political transitions, this trilateral cooperation will remain crucial to the future that all three countries want to build, regardless of those changes." He added, "I believe the vision, decisiveness, and political courage of the three leaders, especially President Yoon Suk-yeol and Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, are the main reasons that have strengthened trilateral cooperation."
U.S. President Joe Biden will retire after completing his term in January next year, having withdrawn from the presidential race ahead of the November election. Prime Minister Kishida also announced last month that he will not run for the next leadership of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, and will step down once a new prime minister is elected.
Foreign Minister Kamikawa said, "As the free and open international order based on the rule of law faces serious challenges, our strategic cooperation is becoming more important than ever," adding, "We will continue to strengthen cooperation in various fields, including the North Korean issue."
On this day, the South Korea-U.S.-Japan foreign ministers reviewed the implementation status of the agreements from the Camp David summit last August and discussed North Korean issues as well as regional and global matters.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Cho, who visited New York to attend the 79th United Nations (UN) General Assembly high-level week, plans to hold more than 20 bilateral and multilateral meetings with foreign ministers from various countries and representatives of international organizations attending the General Assembly during his visit to the U.S.
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