South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said on Wednesday that trilateral cooperation with the United States and Japan has become more important than ever to overcome North Korea’s growing nuclear threats and other crises.
Yoon spoke at an event commemorating the country’s historic March independence movement against the Japanese occupation of Korea from 1910-1945.
Yoon says “Japan has transformed from a militaristic aggressor of the past to a partner that shares the same universal values with us, today, Korea and Japan cooperate on security and economic issues. We also work together to solve global challenges… We must stand in solidarity with countries that share universal values.”
Yoon’s comments come after South Korea’s presidential office said on Tuesday that leaders of South Korea, the United States and Japan held their first dialogue on economic security amid efforts to strengthen supply chain resilience and technology development.
Although Japan and South Korea are sometimes uneasy neighbors, the three countries are looking to expand cooperation in various fields in the face of heightened global tensions, a more assertive China and an unpredictable North Korea.
Last November, Yoon and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed to continue discussions on quickly resolving outstanding issues as they seek to improve relations plagued by historical disputes, according to Yoon’s office.
