Washington: The top military officers of South Korea, the United States, and Japan have reaffirmed that three-way security cooperation is critical to countering regional challenges, including North Korean nuclear and missile threats, Seoul's military said Thursday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the three sides shared the understanding during the Trilateral Chiefs of Defense (Tri-Chod) meeting at the Pentagon near Washington on Wednesday. The meeting was attended by South Korean JCS Chairman Gen. Jin Yong-sung, American Gen. Dan Caine, and Japanese Gen. Hiroaki Uchikura. A joint statement released by South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) emphasized the importance of trilateral security cooperation in responding to threats affecting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, the Indo-Pacific region, and beyond.
The statement also highlighted the agreement to maintain cooperation towards the complete denuclearization of North Korea in line with U.N. Security Council resolutions. The military leaders recognized the need to deepen cooperation across multiple domains and committed to exploring ways to sustain momentum for three-way security cooperation, including through the annual Freedom Edge trilateral exercise.
In a separate bilateral meeting, Gen. Jin and Gen. Caine discussed strengthening the allies' combined defense posture to address North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats and the changing security environment. They pledged to continue efforts to advance combined operational capabilities through combined drills and high-level military exchanges.
Gen. Jin also held a one-on-one meeting with Gen. Uchikura, focusing on efforts to deepen exchanges based on mutual trust by maintaining close communication and enhancing information sharing. The Tri-Chod meeting also included U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson, U.S. Forces Japan Commander Lt. Gen. Stephen Jost, and Deputy Commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Lt. Gen. George Rowell.
The military leaders agreed to conduct their next trilateral meeting in Japan next year.