Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman met with South Korean and Japanese deputy foreign ministers respectively and confirmed the United States’ strong defense commitments to the alliance. The United States, South Korea and Japan have been in bilateral relations for two days.·The tripartite meeting will continue to discuss countermeasures to North Korea’s recent provocations. Journalist Jo Eun-jung reports this.
On the 25th, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman met with South Korean First Deputy Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong and Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Takeo Mori in Tokyo, Japan.
Deputy Secretary of State Sherman tweeted on the same day that “the US-ROK alliance is a fundamental pillar of peace and security in the Indo-Pacific” and “discussed joint responses to various international economic and security challenges.”
The two met at the South Korean embassy in Tokyo to discuss the US-ROK alliance, North Korean issues, extended deterrence, and regional and international issues.
Deputy Secretary Sherman particularly highlighted iron defense commitments vis-à-vis South Korea and Japan in his remarks.
[웬디 셔먼 미 국무부 부장관] “We will use the full range of US defense capabilities to defend our allies, including nuclear, conventional and missile defense capabilities.”
“North Korea has done dangerous things in recent weeks, including launching ballistic missiles,” Sherman said.
“The United States will use the full range of defense capabilities, including nuclear, conventional and missile defense capabilities, to protect our allies,” he said.
“Strategic cooperation between the two countries is more important than ever,” Deputy Minister Cho said in his remarks.
“Any nuclear use by North Korea will face an overwhelming and decisive response,” he said.
State Department spokesperson Ned Price introduced that Deputy Secretary Sherman and Deputy Minister Cho discussed ways to strengthen the US-ROK alliance and deepen cooperation on various issues.
[네드 프라이스 미 국무부 대변인] “Deputy Secretary and First Deputy Foreign Minister Cho has condemned the recent ballistic missile launches by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) as reckless and destabilizing for regional and global security. Deputy Secretary Sherman reiterated that the United States’ commitment to the defense of the People’s Republic of China and Japan remains firm and that we continue to seek serious and sustained dialogue with North Korea “.
According to Price, Deputy Secretary Sherman and Deputy Minister Cho have condemned North Korea’s recent ballistic missile launches as reckless and destabilizing local and global security.
“The US commitment to the defense of South Korea and Japan is ironclad,” Sherman said.
Furthermore, the two sides shared the importance of cooperation to improve the resilience of the supply chain and strengthen the economic security of the two countries, Price said.
Deputy Secretary Sherman also thanked Deputy Secretary Cho for Korea’s continued support for Ukraine and highly appreciated the deepening of US-Korea cooperation on various issues in the Indo-Pacific, Price said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea shares deep concern over the escalation of tensions on the Korean Peninsula and the region through repeated illegal provocations between the two sides and has said it will.
Deputy Minister Cho also introduced the content of President Yun Seok-yeol’s speech to the National Assembly, which emphasized US-Japan security cooperation and bold ideas, and Deputy Minister Sherman is known to have expressed sympathy and support.
The two sides also assessed that close cooperation is underway in relation to the resumption of the Extended Deterrence Strategy Council (EDSCG) meeting last month and discussed ways to further strengthen the effectiveness of extended deterrence.
On the same day, Deputy Secretary of State Sherman also met with Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Takeo Mori, “reaffirming the importance of the US-Japan alliance in promoting peace, security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific”, Price said.
[프라이스 대변인] Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman met with Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Mori Takeo today in Tokyo to reaffirm the vital importance of the US-Japan alliance in promoting peace, security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. The Deputy Secretary and Deputy Foreign Minister exchanged ideas to further deepen the cooperation between the United States and Japan. They also discussed shared efforts to promote regional and global security ”.
Price said the two sides exchanged views to further deepen US-Japan cooperation and discussed joint efforts to promote regional and global security.
“The alliance with Japan is stronger than ever and we are united for peace, security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific,” Deputy Secretary Sherman introduced on Twitter.
On the same day, Deputy Minister Cho and Deputy Minister Mori also held separate bilateral talks to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation between the United States and Japan by sympathizing with concerns over North Korea’s threatening provocations.
In addition to the regional security concerns posed by North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats, the two countries are known to have exchanged in-depth views on the compensation of enlisted workers, which is an important issue between the two countries.
Deputy Minister Wendy Sherman and Deputy Minister Cho also visited Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi.
According to the Japanese Foreign Ministry, Foreign Minister Hayashi appreciated the close relationship between the three foreign ministers of the United States, South Korea and Japan and reiterated the need for the three countries to continue to strengthen ties.
On the 26th it is known that the meeting of the US-Korea-Japan deputy foreign ministers will be held in Tokyo, and in particular the possibility of North Korea’s nuclear test and sanctions will be discussed.
I’m Jo Eun-jung from VOA News.
