Japan, South Korea leaders agree to boost ties with US to tackle North Korea's military threat
March 11, 2022, 12:21 pm

Japan, South Korea leaders agree to boost ties with US to tackle North Korea's military threat

South Korean president-elect Yoon Suk-yeol (File photo: Jung Yeon-je / AFP)

The Arab News reported, citing Reuters, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean president-elect Yoon Suk-yeol said they had agreed on Friday to ramp up three-way ties with the United States in responding to North Korea’s evolving military threat.

Kishida told reporters after a phone call with Yoon the two agreed to stay in close contact over North Korea and shared the view it would be good to meet as soon as possible.

US and South Korean officials said on Friday that North Korea recently used what would be its largest ever intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system in two secretive launches, likely paving the way for a resumption of long-range tests.

Kishida said pretty much all diplomatic options are open in dealing with North Korea, possibly including sanctions, and that Japan will stay in close contact with the United States and South Korea on any response.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (File photo: Official Facebook page)

A spokeswoman for Yoon, who won Wednesday’s presidential election, said he expressed hopes for greater trilateral cooperation involving the United States in dealing with North Korea.

Relations between the two neighbors have been strained over issues stemming from Japan’s 1910-45 colonization over the Korean peninsula, including victims of Japan’s forced labor and mobilization of wartime brothels.

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Kishida said that good bilateral ties are essential and need to be advanced given the state of world affairs.

Yoon told Kishida it would be important to resolve bilateral pending issues in a “reasonable, mutually beneficial manner,” adding both sides have many areas of cooperation including regional security and the economy.

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She added, Yoon also shared condolences to the victims and the families of the 2011 earthquake that struck off the northeastern Japan, marking its 11th anniversary.

Source: arabnews

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.