Japan, U.S., ROK Foreign Chiefs Reaffirm Cooperation over DPRK; 1st Meeting of 3 Countries’ FMs since 2nd Trump Administration

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:59 JST, February 16, 2025

MUNICH — Japan, the United States and South Korea agreed to closely cooperate in responding to North Korea’s nuclear and missile development during a trilateral meeting of foreign ministers in Munich on Saturday.

Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul confirmed they will work together to further strengthen their deterrence and response capabilities and work toward bringing about North Korea’s complete denuclearization.

The meeting, which was the first meeting of the three countries’ foreign ministers since U.S. President Donald Trump took office for the second time, lasted about 40 minutes.

In a joint declaration issued after the meeting, the three ministers stated that they sent North Korea “a strong warning that the United States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea will not tolerate any provocations or threats to their homelands.”

The declaration also emphasizes the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. It states that the ministers oppose “any attempts to unilaterally force or coerce changes to the status quo” and expresses support for “Taiwan’s meaningful participation in appropriate international organizations.”