Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

Strengthening the three nations cooperative system to respond to the North Korean nuclear and missile

Maintaining a close cooperative and mutual-assistance system by implementing the UN Security Council Sanctions Resolution on North Korea

Korea, the US and Japan have decided to strengthen the cooperative system between the three nations in order to respond to the North Korean nuclear and missile threats.

The three countries held the 8th Defense Tri-lateral Talks (DTT) at the Defense building in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on December 16, which involved a joint evaluation of North Korean nuclear and missile threats and a discussion of countermeasures.

The talks were attended by Deputy Minister for National Defense Policy at the Ministry of National Defense Ryu Je-seung, US Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Kelly Magsamen, and Director General of the Bureau of Defense Policy, Ministry of Defense Japan Satoshi Maeda.

The three representatives condemned North Korea’s provocative actions such as nuclear experiments and ballistic missile firings, and decided to strengthen their mutual support for the thorough implementation of the sanctions resolution on North Korea, including UN Security Council Resolution 2321 adopted November 30. They also pressed North Korea to immediately stop any additional provocative actions that will only raise tensions around the Korean Peninsula and the region, and to comply with international responsibilities and pledges.

The information sharing between Korea, the US and Japan and the development of cooperative plans, arranged right after the North's 4th and 5th nuclear tests, were particularly helpful, and the representatives agreed that the missile warning training, carried out twice in June and November of this year, has made a great contribution to increasing detection and tracking capabilities related to North Korean missiles. The 3 nations agreed to closely maintain the cooperation and mutual assistance system in order to more effectively deter and respond to the North’s nuclear and missile threats.

In addition, the representatives shared the view that it was critical to vitalize high-level policy dialogue and military exchange cooperation, as well as to continue promoting the combined training. They also discussed pending security issues in the region including the importance of maritime security, and agreed to hold the 9th DTT in Japan next year.

By Byeong-No, Yun < trylover@dema.mil.kr >
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