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Top security advisers of S. Korea, US, Japan to hold talks in Washington this week: White House

By Yonhap

Published : March 31, 2021 - 14:25

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This Reuters photo shows White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on Wednesday. (Reuters-Yonhap) This Reuters photo shows White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on Wednesday. (Reuters-Yonhap)
The top national security advisers of South Korea, the United States and Japan will meet in Washington this week for talks on regional and foreign policy issues, the White House has announced,

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan will join his South Korean and Japanese counterparts -- Suh Hoon and Shigeru Kitamura -- for a trilateral dialogue on Friday (US time) at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, according to a statement on Tuesday.

It will be the first such three-way talks since the Joe Biden administration took office.

"This trilateral meeting ... provides an opportunity for our nations to consult on a wide range of regional issues and foreign policy priorities, including maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and combating climate change," the White House statement read.

The White House said the upcoming meeting reflects the importance the US places on "broadening and deepening our cooperation on key issues and advancing our shared prosperity across a free and open Indo-Pacific."

At the meeting, the US side is likely to share the result with South Korea and Japan of its policy review on North Korea and have final consultations before it releases the details. The US said earlier that it was in the final stage of the review process.

Following the North's missile launches last week, Biden said the US would respond accordingly if the North escalates tensions and that he is also prepared for "some form of diplomacy."

The denuclearization talks remain stalled after the Hanoi summit between former US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ended without a deal.

The security advisers could also discuss the intensifying Sino-US rivalry and the protracted row between Seoul and Tokyo over wartime history and trade. 

The upcoming security talks come after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited the two Asian allies earlier this month.

The Biden administration has been keen on strengthening alliances to restore its global leadership and stressed that three-way cooperation between the US, Korea and Japan is essential for peace and prosperity in the region. (Yonhap)