At a Friday meeting in Atlanta, the United States, South Korea and Japan paired a renewed North Korea denuclearization pledge with a new Arctic economic partnership, The Korea Herald reported.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Friday, Oct. 30, during the Group of 20 (G20) gathering in Atlanta. The Korea Herald reported that the three had not met in this format for about a month.
The State Department said the ministers renewed their commitment to a fully denuclearized North Korea and to implementing U.N. Security Council resolutions, including curbs on activity that raises funds for Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile programs. The department also praised the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team for tracking violations and attempts to evade U.N. sanctions.
Cho said Seoul wanted to help restart U.S.-North Korea dialogue and work with Washington toward lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula, The Korea Herald reported.
Economic-security talks addressed vulnerabilities in international supply networks, with the global energy crisis among the pressures discussed amid continuing uncertainty, The Korea Herald reported. The ministers supported diversifying critical-mineral sources and cooperating on small modular reactors, artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies described as critical or emerging, the outlet said.
The ministers also signed a memorandum creating the Trilateral Arctic Pacific Partnership, an initiative intended to expand cooperation on shipping and economic activity around the Pacific Arctic, The Korea Herald reported.
The State Department said the ministers called for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. Rubio also voiced concerns over Chinese moves in the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea and the South China Sea, and Beijing's coordination with Moscow. The department said China-Russia cooperation threatens peace and stability across the Indo-Pacific.
