China issue: Japan, U.S., South Korea reaffirm ties vs. North Korea

Japan, U.S., South Korea reaffirm ties vs. North Korea

SINGAPORE--Defense ministers of Japan, U.S. and South Korea remained wary as they reaffirmed their trilateral cooperation against North Korea, which has been showing signs of moving toward dialogue and scaling back its provocative activities.

Japanese Minister of Defense Itsunori Onodera, U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and South Korea Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin, who were participating in the Asia Security Summit, sponsored by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies and supported by The Asahi Shimbun, met on the sidelines on June 1. In a joint statement following their meeting, the three ministers affirmed that they will continue their collaboration to deter North Korean threats of nuclear and missile development and further provocative acts.

In their joint statement, the three defense ministers said that North Korea's nuclear and missile program and continued acts of provocation, including launching a long-range ballistic missile in December 2012 and conducting a nuclear test in February, pose serious threats to undermining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, in the region and around the world.

In the statement, the three ministers strongly called on North Korea to comply with the U.N. Security Council mandate to abandon all nuclear weapons and programs. They also supported the council’s expressed determination to take further significant measures in the event of an additional North Korean missile launch or nuclear test.

They also reaffirmed the importance of trilateral cooperation, based on common values and shared security interests, and their nations' cooperative efforts to work toward peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region and around the globe.

In the statement, the three ministers also expressed their agreement to expand mutual efforts in counter-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden, in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief cooperation, in search-and-rescue exercises and in counter-proliferation efforts.

The trilateral meeting of the defense ministers marked their first in three years. Amid the stagnated relationship between Japan and South Korea over the row over the Takeshima islets and so-called historical issues, the United States had acted as an intermediary to coordinate the meeting.

After the meeting Onodera told reporters that Japan and South Korea agreed to continue discussing the proposed General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), a bilateral agreement that would have a significant impact on their coordinated response to North Korea.

Onodera and Hagel also met with Australian Minister for Defense Stephen Smith on the sidelines of the summit on June 1.

In a joint statement following the meeting, the three outlined strategic goals for trilateral cooperation. Keeping in mind China's maritime expansion moves in the East and South China Sea, which are causing disputes in the region, the goals include: building a "community of interest" in the Asia-Pacific region that promotes peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law and that establishes defense cooperation as a regional norm; promoting freedom of navigation and maritime security in the region's sea lanes; and other international rights.