Japan, U.S., S. Korea Top Uniformed Officers Vow Cooperation

Seoul, July 11 (Jiji Press)--Top uniformed officers from Japan's Self-Defense Forces, the U.S. military and the South Korean military on Friday agreed to continue their trilateral security cooperation, condemning North Korea's nuclear and missile development.
 

The agreement was included in a joint statement released following a meeting in Seoul between Gen. Yoshihide Yoshida, chief of staff at the SDF's Joint Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Adm. Kim Myung-soo, chairman of South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff.
 

Caine also called for coordination to deter China's military threats.
 

While South Korea considers the trilateral security cooperation as a deterrent against North Korea, Caine said in the meeting that North Korea and China are promoting an unprecedented military buildup.
 

He also said that the United States is focusing on rebuilding the deterrence, indicating his intention to use the trilateral framework to check China.
 

It was the first trilateral meeting of the top uniformed officers since South Korean President Lee Jae-myung took office in June.
 

Affected by the worsening of Japan-South Korea relations, it was the first visit by Japan's chief of staff at the SDF's Joint Staff to South Korea in 15 years.
 

Yoshida expressed Japan's eagerness to establish a system that would promote defense cooperation between Japan, South Korea and the United States, regardless of political situations in each country.
 

In conjunction with the meeting, the three countries conducted a joint exercise on the high seas south of the South Korean island of Jeju on Friday. During the training, a B-52 strategic bomber of the U.S. Air Force flew over the Korean Peninsula for the first time this year.
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