US, Japan, RoK Discuss Defense Cooperation

The United States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea held a productive meeting in Washington, D.C., April 17-18, to promote trilateral defense cooperation.

The meeting grew out of the trilateral summit hosted by U.S. President Barack Obama in The Hague on March 25.

The United States, Japan, and Republic of Korea reaffirmed that they will not accept North Korea as a nuclear-armed state and agreed to closely coordinate to deter North Korean provocations.

The three countries also reaffirmed the necessity for a coordinated response and close cooperation with the international community with respect to the threat to international security posed by the North Korea’s nuclear, ballistic missile, and proliferation programs.

In addition, the three countries shared the understanding of the importance of cooperating on non-traditional security issues, such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and counter-piracy, and discussed additional ways to cooperate in these areas.

The Chief of Staff for the U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Lippert, ROK Deputy Minister for Policy of the Ministry of National Defense Yoo Jeh Seung, and director-general of the Japanese Defense Ministry’s Defense Policy Bureau Hideshi Tokuchi headed the delegations for the meetings held at the Pentagon.

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Press Release, April 21, 2014; Image: Wikimedia