South Korea, Japan and the United States have agreed to join forces to take strong action against North Korea if it conducts a nuclear test, to ensure that the regime understands that it has clearly made a “wrong decision,” Seoul’s security chief said Thursday. time).
The three countries also pledged to come up with a joint response to avoid any disruption to the global supply chain, South Korea’s national security adviser Kim Sung-han said after meeting with his U.S. counterparts. and Japanese.
South Korean national security adviser Kim Sung-han (right) poses with US national security adviser Jake Sullivan in Honolulu, Hawaii on Thursday. (Yonhap)
Kim met with U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Japanese National Security Advisor Takeo Akiba in Honolulu on Thursday to discuss North Korea, economic security and key regional issues. The meeting was the first of its kind to be held between security chiefs since the Korean administration Yoon Suk-yeol came to power in May.
“The three countries agreed to further strengthen their cooperation to maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the region,” Kim said, speaking to reporters before returning to Seoul.
“The (specified) nuclear test should not be seen as one more nuclear test than the previous six. We will therefore maximize our joint efforts with the international society to ensure that the North understands that its seventh nuclear test is a manifest error.
Kim also said the reactions of the three countries would be “certainly different from those so far” when the North conducts the seventh nuclear test.
Regarding their trilateral cooperation on extended nuclear deterrence, Kim said it was a matter that should first be discussed between South Korea and the United States.
Further details on the extended nuclear deterrent will be discussed at the extended deterrence strategy and consultation group meeting between Seoul and Washington, scheduled for mid-September, Kim added.
Intelligence authorities in Seoul and Washington believe the North appears to have completed all preparations to conduct a nuclear test. Pyongyang carried out its sixth nuclear test in September 2019.
At the trilateral meeting, Kim also promoted the Korean government’s “bold move”, under which it would provide aid and economic benefits to the North in exchange for its steps towards denuclearization.
Both the United States and Japan showed positive responses to the bold move and said they would cooperate, Kim said.
Kim also held bilateral talks with Sullivan and Akiba, separately, prior to their trilateral talks.
During the meeting with the US security adviser, Kim raised Korea’s concerns over the US Inflation Reduction Act which was recently signed into law by US President Joe Biden.
The new law, signed August 16, allows a government credit of up to $7,500 for each electric vehicle purchase, but only for cars built in North America. This means removing subsidies from most Korean electric vehicles exported to the United States, dealing a blow to Korean automakers.
Seoul views the new law as a potential violation of the Korea-US free trade agreement.
During their bilateral talks, Sullivan agreed to have the U.S. National Security Council look into Korea’s concerns and the possible harm the law may have on the Korean auto industry, according to Kim.
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Category: Japan, Korea
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