Yonhap News Agency
June 8, 2022

S. Korea, U.S., Japan agree to bolster security ties against N. Korea

South Korea, the United States and Japan agreed Wednesday to bolster their united front against North Korea’s threats, as their senior government officials gathered here….

It marked the first trilateral meeting of the regional powers’ No. 2 diplomats in half a year, coming on the heels of a string of ballistic missile launches by the North.

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Sherman reaffirmed Washington’s “steadfast commitment” to the defense of its Asian allies, including “extended deterrence.”

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During the talks that took place two weeks after President Joe Biden’s trip to Seoul and Tokyo, the three sides also discussed ways to enhance cooperation on a range of global issues, including support for Ukraine, economic security and the promotion of “a free and open Indo-Pacific,” according to the statement.

They decided to hold the next face-to-face three-way session in Tokyo in the fall.

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Meanwhile, Sherman had a separate meeting with Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Dmytro Senik, who was also visiting Seoul this week. The deputy secretary “provided an update on U.S. assistance to Ukraine…,,” the State Department said in a statement.