South Korea, United States, and Japan reaffirm commitment to deter a nuclear North
Published: 11 Jul. 2025, 20:13
![Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Adm. Kim Myung-soo, his U.S. counterpart, Gen. Dan Caine and his Japanese counterpart Yoshihide Yoshida pose for a photo during their meeting at JCS headquarters in Seoul on July 10. [JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/07/11/485f704d-ad25-4def-8b31-ed98e2fb563a.jpg)
Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Adm. Kim Myung-soo, his U.S. counterpart, Gen. Dan Caine and his Japanese counterpart Yoshihide Yoshida pose for a photo during their meeting at JCS headquarters in Seoul on July 10. [JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF]
The Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea, the United States and Japan pledged Friday to continue working together toward the complete denuclearization of North Korea, amid discussions about a possible shift in the role and size of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK).
The statement emphasized that trilateral cooperation is aimed at deterring Pyongyang.
Kim Myung-soo, U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, and Japan Chief of Staff, Joint Staff Gen. Yoshida Yoshihide adopted a joint press statement at the 22nd Trilateral Chiefs of Defense (Tri-Chod) Meeting on July 11 in Seoul.
“The defense chiefs condemned the DPRK's continued development of unlawful nuclear and ballistic missile programs and agreed to continue coordination toward the complete denuclearization of the DPRK in accordance with relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs),” the statement read. DPRK is the acronym for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
The three military leaders “discussed the deployment of the DPRK’s troops to Russia, as well as the potential transfer of military technology from Russia to the DPRK” and “pledged to continue working together to respond to the DPRK's threats” while urging “the DPRK to immediately cease all unlawful activities to destabilize the Korean Peninsula, the Indo-Pacific and beyond.”
After the meeting, the three visited the South Korean Navy’s Second Fleet Command in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi, to pay tribute to the 46 sailors who died in the 2010 sinking of the Cheonan warship, which was caused by a surprise torpedo attack by the North.
![Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Adm. Kim Myung-soo, his U.S. counterpart, Gen. Dan Caine and his Japanese counterpart Yoshihide Yoshida pose for a photo during their meeting at JCS headquarters in Seoul on July 10. [JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/07/11/fd2ef9f7-ef00-4d61-bbd6-313dbd3829da.jpg)
Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Adm. Kim Myung-soo, his U.S. counterpart, Gen. Dan Caine and his Japanese counterpart Yoshihide Yoshida pose for a photo during their meeting at JCS headquarters in Seoul on July 10. [JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF]
The Trump administration previously pursued strategic “flexibility” by reducing U.S. commitments while increasing the burden on allies. That policy was expected to apply to overseas U.S. military operations, potentially affecting the size and mission of USFK. The joint statement reaffirms that the trilateral alliance’s top priority remains countering the North’s nuclear and missile threats.
Although China was not explicitly mentioned in the statement, the leaders noted that trilateral cooperation “has played a key role in promoting peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific,” and that they “focused on various ways to deepen their cooperation in order to ensure peace and stability in the region” — an apparent reference to China’s rising military presence.
Meanwhile, the three countries conducted a joint aerial drill south of Jeju Island on Friday, involving the deployment of a U.S. B-52H strategic bomber to the Korean Peninsula for the first time this year. South Korea’s KF-16 fighter jets and Japan’s F-2 fighters also participated.
The Korean military said the exercise was “aimed at enhancing the three countries’ deterrence and response capabilities against North Korea’s increasingly sophisticated nuclear and missile threats,” and added that the allies will “continue trilateral training and cooperation to jointly deter and respond to threats from North Korea.”
Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY LEE KEUN-PYUNG [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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