South Korea, US, Japan hold first 3-way high-level diplomatic talks since Lee govt launch

Kuala Lumpur, July 11 (IANS) South Korea, the United States and Japan held trilateral ministerial talks at a multilateral gathering in Malaysia on Friday to discuss coordination on key shared regional and global issues, Seoul officials said.

First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo joined US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya for the talks on the margins of the foreign ministers' meetings hosted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

It marked the first high-level talks among the senior diplomats of the three countries since the launch of the Lee Jae Myung government in early June. Park is attending the forum on behalf of the foreign minister, as the appointment process is still in progress.

The talks lasted for about 40 minutes.

Holding such talks with South Korea represented by the vice minister reflects the importance the three countries place on their trilateral partnership that was elevated to new heights under their previous governments, Yonhap news agency reported.

At the talks, the three sides reaffirmed commitment to coordinating on key shared issues, including the denuclearization of North Korea and efforts to deter its nuclear threats, a source said.

They also discussed North Korea's growing cyberthreats and sanctions-evading activities, while reaffirming calls for Pyongyang to return to dialogue.

Friday's meeting likely included discussions on China's growing assertiveness and ensuring security around the Taiwan Strait.

In the joint statement released after their previous trilateral talks in Brussels in April, the three countries called for an end to actions that destabilize security around the Taiwan Strait, in an apparent veiled warning to China against its increasing military activities in the area.

The talks also came as Seoul is negotiating with Washington to avoid or minimize the impact of tariff hikes on its export-dependent economy. US President Donald Trump has notified both Seoul and Tokyo through letters addressed to their leaders that the "reciprocal" tariffs will take effect on August 1.

Both South Korea and Japan face 25 per cent duties on their goods. Trump's announcement is seen as an effective extension of the deadline originally set for July 9, following a 90-day pause on the measure.

--IANS

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