The United States, South Korea and Japan on Thursday condemned North Korea’s latest missile test and said they will enhance security cooperation in respons
BONN, GERMANY – The United States, South Korea and Japan on Thursday condemned North Korea’s latest missile test and said they will enhance security cooperation in response.
A joint statement by the nations’ three top diplomats said the U. S. “remains steadfast” in its defense commitments to the two Asian allies, “backed by the full range of its nuclear and conventional defense capabilities.”
The statement came after U. S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida in Bonn, Germany, where they were attending a meeting of foreign ministers from the Group of 20 nations.
On Sunday, North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile from a mobile launcher, signaling advancement in its capabilities as it develops nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them.
South Korea and Japan, both hosts to tens of thousands of U. S. service members, are within range of North Korean missiles. Washington, under the Obama administration, nudged Seoul and Tokyo to set aside historical acrimony and work closer together in the face of the common threat.
In 2014, the three nations signed a pact on joint intelligence-sharing about North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.
