South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun (L), U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (C) and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi pose for a photo ahead of their talks in Manila on Wednesday. Photo by Yonhap
The top diplomats of South Korea, the United States and Japan on Wednesday reaffirmed close coordination on North Korea policy, underscoring their commitment to deterrence against Pyongyang and the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, Seoul's foreign ministry said.
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi agreed to strengthen cooperation during their trilateral talks held on the sidelines of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-related ministerial meetings in Manila, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The three diplomats are in the Philippine capital to attend the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the East Asia Summit (EAS) foreign ministers' meeting and other related gatherings.
"The three ministers shared their assessments of recent developments on the Korean Peninsula and reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining a robust deterrence posture against North Korea while upholding the goal of the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," the ministry said in a statement.
