(2nd LD) [APEC 2025] Top diplomats of S. Korea, U.S., Japan reaffirm commitment to denuclearization of Korean Peninsula

GYEONGJU, South Korea, Oct. 29 (Yonhap) -- The top diplomats of South Korea, the United States and Japan on Wednesday reaffirmed their "shared principle" of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, as they met for trilateral talks during a multilateral forum, Seoul's foreign ministry said.

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun shared the stance with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi at the meeting held on the margins of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) gathering, the ministry said in a release.

It marked their first meeting since Motegi took office with the launch of the new Japanese cabinet led by Prime Minister Sanae Takanichi, who was elected last week. The talks also came after the summit talks between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump in Gyeongju.

"The secretary and the ministers agreed to maintain close coordination on North Korea, while upholding the shared principle of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," the ministry said.

They also agreed to "continue efforts to promote peace and stability through dialogue and diplomacy," and "expressed their commitment to continuing cooperation" for prosperity in the region, it said.

The shared principle on the pursuit of making a nuclear-free peninsula, effectively meaning denuclearizing North Korea, reinforces what Seoul said Trump conveyed during his summit with Lee.

After the Lee-Trump summit on Wednesday, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said Trump said he would do his part to promote peace in the region based on the 2018 Singapore Declaration signed between Washington and Pyongyang during his first term.

Under the declaration, the North promises efforts toward the "complete denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula.

At the meeting, Cho also proposed that the three countries work together to enhance resilience in regional supply chains and address transnational challenges on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific region.

They agreed to continue close communication through various multilateral meetings and at other occasions going forward, the ministry added.

Wednesday's meeting took place in a "pull-aside" format, after the three countries reversed an earlier cancellation of their meeting and decided to hold the talks.

Seoul had announced before that the meeting had to be canceled due to scheduling matters.

elly@yna.co.kr
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