The US - Japan - Korea institutionalized cooperation, Tokyo and Seoul resolved defense problems

Washington [USA], June 2: US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell reaffirmed US commitments to the defense of South Korea and Japan as "ironclad", reaffirming the US commitment to strengthen extended deterrence with the two allies. Asia, including nuclear, according to the statement.
Regarding the Taiwan issue , three senior officials from the US, Japan and South Korea emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable factor for security and prosperity in the community. international community, according to the joint statement. Besides, the three officials also strongly oppose any unilateral efforts to change the status quo in the Indo-Pacific waters and illegal maritime claims in the East Sea .
To further institutionalize trilateral cooperation, US - Japan - South Korea officials will establish a permanent secretariat to increase participation, adjust policies and strengthen three-way cooperation. Deputy Minister Campbell emphasized: "The purpose of the coordinating body is to ensure that we maintain momentum towards the important work of this trilateral group, the three countries will explore new areas of cooperation not only in Northeast Asia but globally".
Previously, the leaders of the three countries held a three-way summit at Camp David (USA) in August 2023, overcoming historical tensions between Japan and South Korea. Mr. Campbell said that the negotiation between diplomatic officials of the three parties on May 31 was part of the purpose of preparing for the three-party summit between Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, US President Joe Biden and the Prime Minister. Japan Kishida Fumio later this year.
Japan - Korea improve defense relations
In another development, Japanese Defense Minister Kihara Minoru and his Korean counterpart Shin Won-sik on June 1 agreed to take measures to prevent radar lock incidents at a sideline meeting at the Shangri-La Dialogue. (Singapore), according to Kyodo.
Previously, defense exchanges between Japan and South Korea were almost "frozen" for nearly 5 years surrounding the issue of Tokyo accusing a South Korean destroyer of locking fire control radar on an SDF patrol plane during the incident. Japan's exclusive economic zone in December 2018.
The two defense ministers affirmed that the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (SDF) and the Korean military will resume official high-level exchanges, and draft a document on preventive steps to ensure safety when encountering at sea , in the context of improved bilateral relations.
The meeting comes as the governments of Japan and South Korea seek to normalize defense exchanges, acknowledging the need to cooperate to address nuclear and missile threats from North Korea. Mr. Kihara said both Tokyo and Seoul must strive to increase real-time information sharing about North Korea's 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: Thanh Nien Newspaper