Move comes after a flurry of North Korea missile launches
The defense chiefs from Japan, U.S. and South Korea met for the first time in two and a half years. (Photo courtesy of Japan's Ministry of Defense)
SINGAPORE -- The U.S., Japan and South Korea will resume joint exercises as North Korea picks up the pace of its missile tests, the nations' defense chiefs said Saturday.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, South Korean Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-Sup and Japanese Minister of Defense Nobuo Kishi agreed to hold the exercises after meeting in Singapore on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit.
This was the first face-to-face meeting between the defense chiefs from the three nations since November 2019 and lasted 45 minutes. Newly elected South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol seeks to improve ties with Japan, making the meeting possible.
The ministers "shared their deep concerns about [North Korea's] weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs, which pose a grave threat to international peace and stability," according to a joint statement issued after the meeting.
They "shared the recognition that defense-related confidence building among countries in the region is important and committed to strengthening cooperation," the statement said.
The three nations held six joint drills over 2016 and 2017 that included sharing information on ballistic missiles. But these efforts stopped in December 2017 when relations between Tokyo and Seoul soured.
With the renewed cooperation, the partners agreed to hold missile warning and ballistic missile search and tracking exercises.
China's growing military strength was also addressed, with the statement saying they "emphasized the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," marking the first mention of Taiwan collectively by the trio, according to the Japanese Defense Ministry.
As for the Indo-Pacific region, they "expressed strong opposition to any unilateral actions that seek to alter the status quo and increase tensions."
Heightened concern over North Korea's progress in nuclear and missile development prompted cooperation among the three. The Japanese Defense Ministry says at least 28 ballistic missiles were launched by Pyongyang so far this year, setting a record pace less than half way through the year. It may also decide to conduct a seventh nuclear test.
The trio "committed ... to identify further trilateral actions in order to address ... ballistic missile launches."
After missile launches on May 25 and June 5, the U.S. and Japan demonstrated their ability to respond with joint aircraft exercises, while the U.S. and South Korea launched surface-to-surface missiles. In addition, the three countries will discuss ways to demand self-restraint from North Korea.
The statement also aimed to raise of the credibility of the U.S. policy of "extended deterrence" by which it protects allies with its nuclear arsenal, saying Washington "reaffirmed its steadfast alliance commitments to Japan and [South Korea] backed by the full range of U.S. capabilities, including nuclear."
Japanese and South Korean defense ties have cooled since 2018, when the radar of a South Korean military vessel locked on a Japanese Self-Defense Forces aircraft. The defense chiefs noted the importance of bilateral relations between Japan and South Korea, but no bilateral meeting was being held.
After the meeting, Kishi told reporters that a decision on having a Tokyo-Seoul defense chief meeting would be made at "an appropriate time."
https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/Indo-Pacific/Japan-South-Korea-U.S.-to-resume-joint-defense-drills
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