South Korea, US, and Japan Leaders Adopt Joint Statement in Peru
Oppose 'Unilateral Status Change' in Taiwan Strait
President Yoon Suk-yeol, who is visiting Peru to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, is taking a commemorative photo with U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at the Lima Convention Center on the 15th (local time). Photo by Yonhap News
President Yoon Suk-yeol, U.S. President Joe Biden, and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba held a trilateral summit on the 15th (local time) and agreed to establish the "Korea-U.S.-Japan Cooperation Secretariat" to strengthen cooperation, including in security. The three leaders also strongly condemned North Korea's deployment of troops to Russia and its involvement in the Ukraine war.
The Korea-U.S.-Japan leaders held their summit in Peru, where the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit was taking place, and adopted a joint statement centered on establishing a trilateral cooperation office to coordinate and implement their shared will.
In the statement, the Korea-U.S.-Japan leaders emphasized, "The newly established secretariat will ensure that our goals and actions to make the Indo-Pacific a prosperous, connected, resilient, stable, and secure region are further aligned."
The leaders criticized North Korea's troop deployment to Russia as a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions and strongly condemned the decision by the leaders of North Korea and Russia to dangerously escalate Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. The three leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions and pledged to firmly respond to any violations, evasions of UN Security Council resolutions related to North Korea, and any attempts to undermine the international non-proliferation regime.
They also expressed serious concerns about North Korea's illegal revenue-generating activities, including arms transactions to finance its illicit weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs, malicious cyber activities, and the dispatch of overseas workers.
President Biden and Prime Minister Ishiba clearly expressed support for President Yoon's vision of a free, peaceful, and prosperous Korean Peninsula, reaffirming their support for a free and peaceful reunified Korea. They also urged the immediate resolution of issues related to North Korean human rights, abductees, detainees, and unrepatriated South Korean prisoners of war.
The three leaders also stated their position on the cross-strait issue between China and Taiwan. They strongly opposed any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the Indo-Pacific waters and recognized the importance of opposing illegal maritime territorial claims in the South China Sea. They further emphasized that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are essential elements for the security and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region.
The Korea-U.S.-Japan trio also agreed to deepen their economic partnership, including continued close cooperation in the field of economic security. They stated that under the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) supply chain agreement, they will strengthen cooperation within the Crisis Response Network (CRN) to ensure access to essential goods in the event of emergencies.
The Korea-U.S.-Japan leaders added, "Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation has been elevated to a new level across various sectors of the three governments," and expressed their belief that the Korea-U.S.-Japan relationship will serve as a balancing mechanism for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region in the coming years.
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