The United States, Japan, and South Korea are planning to establish a permanent secretariat to enhance communication and coordinate policies. This growing trilateral group has become a key player in countering China, North Korea, and Russia, and upholding peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region.
Before the deputy ministerial meeting held on Friday, May 31st, US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell told reporters that the purpose of this coordinating body is to “ensure that our trilateral group continues to make progress on important work.” He mentioned that the three countries will explore new areas of cooperation, not only in Northeast Asia but globally.
In August 2023, leaders of the US, Japan, and South Korea held their first trilateral summit at Camp David, overcoming historical tensions between Japan and South Korea.
Campbell, Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Okano Masataka, and South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun held their meeting at a private estate in Virginia.
A statement released after the meeting strongly condemned North Korea’s recent series of ballistic missile launches, stating that Pyongyang’s rhetoric and actions are increasingly destabilizing. The officials urged North Korea to engage in substantive dialogue unconditionally.
They also expressed concerns about the deepening cooperation between North Korea and Russia, including weapon transfers, criticizing that such transfers have fueled the conflict in Ukraine.
Without explicitly naming China, the three officials strongly opposed any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the Indo-Pacific waters. They also rejected illegal maritime claims in the South China Sea and reiterated the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
They emphasized that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are indispensable factors for international security and prosperity.
In the future, the trilateral group will face challenges on how to maintain their partnership post changes in government, particularly in South Korea, where the main opposition leader Lee Jae-myung has criticized the efforts of the Moon Jae-in government to improve relations with Japan, stating that it damages South Korea’s dignity.
This week, Senator Roger Wicker, the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee from Mississippi, proposed a policy that includes “nuclear sharing” as a way to strengthen relationships. The senator suggested discussing with South Korea, Japan, and Australia to assess if they are willing to reach agreements similar to the NATO alliance, to share nuclear weapons.
Currently, US nuclear weapons are deployed at bases in countries like Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Italy. Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also proposed deploying American nuclear weapons in Japan before his passing.