Trilateral Talks Planned to Boost Deterrence Against North Korea

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:05 JST, April 27, 2023

The Japanese, U.S. and South Korean governments are arranging for a trilateral summit in conjunction with the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima scheduled for May 19-21, according to several Japanese government sources.

The three countries are considering holding their talks on the last day of the G7 summit, May 21.

Japan, the United States and South Korea are aiming to strengthen their cooperation to boost deterrence against North Korea, in light of Pyongyang’s accelerating nuclear and missile development. They have been discussing specific measures for the immediate sharing of information related to North Korean missiles, and the three leaders are expected to confirm the acceleration of such discussions as well.

According to Japanese government sources, the trilateral meeting was proposed by the United States, which values cooperation among itself and Japan and South Korea.

The United States has welcomed the fact that the Japanese and South Korean governments are moving toward the normalization of their relationship, after South Korea announced a solution to the issue of lawsuits linked to former wartime requisitioned workers from the Korean Peninsula.

Washington appears to see the upcoming summit as an opportunity to further strengthen the solidarity of the three nations.