Ministers of foreign affairs and defense from the United States and Japan gathered together to discuss North Korea issues. While North Korea’s nuclear weapons and the rise of China were presented as challenges, the two countries agreed to tackle this issue through the U.S.-Japan alliance as well as trilateral cooperation including South Korea. Reporter Ham Ji-ha reports.
The US and Japan held a meeting of the US-Japan Security Consultative Committee (2+2) in Tokyo, Japan on the 16th.
The meeting was attended by Secretary of State Tony Blincoln and Defense Minister Lloyd Austin from the US side, and Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Defense Minister Kishi Nobuo from Japan.
These ministers discussed various issues, including the North Korean nuclear issue, the Japanese abductee issue, and the rise of China.
At a joint press conference held after the talks, Secretary Blincoln discussed the North Korean issue and repeatedly stressed that “the alliance is very important” to the two countries.
[녹취: 블링컨 장관] “This alliance matters deeply to the United States and to Japan. And after today, I feel very confident in saying it is stronger than ever. Together, we’re addressing core security concerns, including North Korea’s nuclear weapons program and maritime security across the region as well.”
“I can confidently say that the alliance has become stronger than ever since today,” Blincoln said. He said the two countries are working together to address key security issues, including North Korea’s nuclear program and regional maritime security issues.
He added that he is very interested in alliances and partners. “For that reason, I visited the area, and I came to Japan to listen to allies and discuss how we can jointly respond to the North Korean threat.”
Secretary Blincoln stressed that the United States and Japan have a joint determination to address the challenges posed by North Korea regarding its nuclear and missile programs and human rights violations.
Also, regarding the issue of Japanese abductees, he said that he has maintained a very strong bond with Japan, and disclosed that he received a letter from a family of Japanese abductees on that day.
At a press conference, Foreign Minister Motegi confirmed the importance of the full implementation of the UN Security Council resolution on North Korea by both the US and Japan, and that the US-Japan and the US-Korea-Japan will continue to cooperate. I said I did it.
Secretary Blincoln has also repeatedly emphasized the importance of trilateral cooperation between the United States, Korea, and Japan, including Korea.
[녹취: 블링컨 장관] “We’ve engaged bilaterally with our Japanese and South Korean allies when it comes to North Korea. We’ve also done a trilaterally and that continued trilateral engagement cooperation will be in my judgment very important going forward. We have no greater strategic advantage when it comes to North Korea than this alliance, and we’ll approach that challenge as an alliance. And we’ve got to do that if we’re going to be effective.
Regarding North Korea, the United States has been both involved with Japan and South Korea, and at the same time has been doing so in a three-way way.
Secretary Blincoln said, in his own judgment, that “sustainable trilateral partnerships are very important for moving forward,” and that “there is nothing greater than this alliance in terms of strategic advantage for North Korea.”
“We will approach this challenge as an alliance,” he said. “We must do that to be effective.”
Defense Secretary Austin also stressed the importance of US-Japan cooperation, saying he discussed various issues including North Korea.
[녹취: 오스틴 장관] “We spoke on a number of issues to include our commitment to the denuclearization of North Korea and enhancing alliance capabilities across all domains and addressing aggressive and coercive behaviors from China, especially in the south and East China Seas.”
The two sides discussed a number of issues, including North Korea’s willingness to denuclearize and strengthening alliances in all regions, particularly in dealing with China’s coercive and aggressive behavior in the South and East China Seas.
“We know that Japan shares US concerns about China’s unstable behavior,” Austin said. “China is a constant challenge to the Pentagon.”
“Competition in today’s changing global dynamics can only be achieved through the spirit of teamwork and cooperation,” he said. This spirit is “a characteristic of alliance with Japan.”
Meanwhile, Secretary Blincoln confirmed that the United States has attempted to contact the North Korean side.
[녹취: 블링컨 장관] “We reached out to the North Korean government through several channels starting in mid-February, including in New York. To date, we have not received a response from Pyongyang. This follows over a year without active dialogue with North Korea, despite multiple attempts by the United States to engage.”
In order to reduce the risk of intensifying tensions, they have been in contact with the North Korean government from mid-February through various channels including New York.
But Secretary Blincoln said he has not yet received any response from the North Korean side, which he said is that despite several attempts by the United States to get involved, active dialogue with North Korea has not been continued.
After confirming that the Biden administration’s review of North Korea policy is ongoing, he said, “We are looking into whether various additional methods of pressure will be effective, whether there is a valid diplomatic route, etc.”
He added that the review is “in close cooperation with our alliances and partners.”
Earlier, the White House and the State Department said they were collecting opinions from research institutes and outside experts to review the new policy toward North Korea, and that they had consulted with many former officials who were involved in North Korea policy, including those from the previous administration.
This is Jiha Ham, VOA News.