US, South Korea, Japan reaffirm pressure on North Korea in trilateral security meeting

South Korea, the United States and Japan held trilateral talks in Tokyo this week focusing on North Korean affairs, Seoul’s foreign ministry said on June 13.

The meeting brought together Kim Sang-il, head of the ministry’s North Korean Nuclear Affairs Policy Division, David Wilezol, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for Northeast Asia, and Kengo Otsuka, deputy director-general for Asian and Oceanian affairs at Japan’s foreign ministry, Yonhap reports.

Officials exchanged views on recent developments on the Korean Peninsula and broader Northeast Asian security issues, and reaffirmed their commitment to the denuclearisation of North Korea as well as the enforcement of United Nations and unilateral sanctions, according to Seoul.

In a press release, Japan’s foreign ministry said the three sides “expressed their serious concerns over North Korea's nuclear and missile development.”

Seoul’s foreign ministry said: "We explained our effort in easing tension and building trust in inter-Korean relations, and also exchanged views on trilateral cooperation in ensuring peace and security on the Korean Peninsula," the ministry added.

The Japanese ministry also said the officials discussed concerns over North Korea’s expanding military cooperation with Russia and its cyber activities.

Separately, the three countries held a trilateral secretariat management board meeting in Tokyo on Friday, reviewing cooperation in security, economic and technology fields and exploring ways to produce concrete outcomes, according to Seoul.

By Aghakazim Guliyev