Leaders agree to three-way security cooperation
The leaders of South Korea, the United States and Japan have agreed to strengthen security cooperation to deter North Korea's missile and nuclear threats. In a trilateral summit held in Phnom Penh on Sunday, they also vowed to deliver a "strong and resolute" response if North Korea conducts its seventh nuclear test.
Wrapping up the summit, the leaders issued a joint statement announcing the "unprecedented level of trilateral cooperation" they had achieved and vowing to further fortify their security ties. U.S. President Joe Biden underlined the U.S.' "ironclad" commitment to defend South Korea and Japan. "Japan and the Republic of Korea are both critical allies of the United States," Biden said after meeting with President Yoon Suk-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
"The three leaders agreed to share information on the North's missile launches in real time and improve each country's ability to detect and assess the threat posed by incoming missiles, a major step for deterrence, peace and stability," the statement reads. The leaders also agreed on the need to set up a three-way economic and security consultative body. It is important for the three countries to step up cooperation amid growing economic uncertainties due to diverse factors such as possible global supply chain disruptions of key products like semiconductors.
In this vein, the U.S. needs to find a solution to the problems caused by its Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which discriminates against Korean-made electric vehicles (EVs) and batteries. The new legislation is facing criticism for stripping purchasers of EVs manufactured outside North America of a tax credit worth up to $7,500. Fortunately, Biden said his administration will take measures with respect to Korean companies which he said have contributed greatly to the U.S. economy.
"In consideration of these points, measures to implement the IRA should be discussed," the presidential office quoted Biden as having told Yoon during the summit. As the just-ended U.S. midterm elections are regarded as a victory for Biden, we expect he will take bolder steps to resolve the issue in a proper way.
Biden and Yoon agreed to strengthen their combined defense posture against the North's possible military provocations. In a separate summit, Yoon and Kishida agreed to continue dialogue more briskly to find ways to tackle knotty bilateral issues such as Japan's wartime forced labor.
The Yoon-Kishida meeting is meaningful as it is an official summit, unlike their brief meeting in New York on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. We urge the two countries to make concerted efforts to put frayed bilateral ties back on track. Both sides have yet to make any breakthroughs on the forced labor issue. Now they need to resolve the matter soon by regaining mutual trust to forge a future-oriented partnership.
The trilateral summit has significant implications as it came at a time when North Korea is ready to conduct its seventh nuclear test. The three leaders' agreement to give a resolute response to the North's incessant provocations will serve as a warning against North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's reckless move toward nuclear armament.
The leaders of South Korea, the United States and Japan have agreed to strengthen security cooperation to deter North Korea's missile and nuclear threats. In a trilateral summit held in Phnom Penh on Sunday, they also vowed to deliver a "strong and resolute" response if North Korea conducts its seventh nuclear test.
Wrapping up the summit, the leaders issued a joint statement announcing the "unprecedented level of trilateral cooperation" they had achieved and vowing to further fortify their security ties. U.S. President Joe Biden underlined the U.S.' "ironclad" commitment to defend South Korea and Japan. "Japan and the Republic of Korea are both critical allies of the United States," Biden said after meeting with President Yoon Suk-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
"The three leaders agreed to share information on the North's missile launches in real time and improve each country's ability to detect and assess the threat posed by incoming missiles, a major step for deterrence, peace and stability," the statement reads. The leaders also agreed on the need to set up a three-way economic and security consultative body. It is important for the three countries to step up cooperation amid growing economic uncertainties due to diverse factors such as possible global supply chain disruptions of key products like semiconductors.
In this vein, the U.S. needs to find a solution to the problems caused by its Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which discriminates against Korean-made electric vehicles (EVs) and batteries. The new legislation is facing criticism for stripping purchasers of EVs manufactured outside North America of a tax credit worth up to $7,500. Fortunately, Biden said his administration will take measures with respect to Korean companies which he said have contributed greatly to the U.S. economy.
"In consideration of these points, measures to implement the IRA should be discussed," the presidential office quoted Biden as having told Yoon during the summit. As the just-ended U.S. midterm elections are regarded as a victory for Biden, we expect he will take bolder steps to resolve the issue in a proper way.
Biden and Yoon agreed to strengthen their combined defense posture against the North's possible military provocations. In a separate summit, Yoon and Kishida agreed to continue dialogue more briskly to find ways to tackle knotty bilateral issues such as Japan's wartime forced labor.
The Yoon-Kishida meeting is meaningful as it is an official summit, unlike their brief meeting in New York on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. We urge the two countries to make concerted efforts to put frayed bilateral ties back on track. Both sides have yet to make any breakthroughs on the forced labor issue. Now they need to resolve the matter soon by regaining mutual trust to forge a future-oriented partnership.
The trilateral summit has significant implications as it came at a time when North Korea is ready to conduct its seventh nuclear test. The three leaders' agreement to give a resolute response to the North's incessant provocations will serve as a warning against North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's reckless move toward nuclear armament.
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