South Korea, Japan, and the United States reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea on Saturday, February 15, 2025. The countries also condemned North Korea's human rights violations.
The foreign ministers of South Korea, Japan, and the United States (Cho Tae-yul, Takeshi Iwaya, and Marco Rubio, respectively) met at the Munich Security Conference in Germany. This was the first trilateral meeting of its kind since Donald Trump returned to the White House in January.
The three nations expressed concerns regarding North Korea's missile and nuclear weapons programs, cyber activities, and military cooperation with Russia. They also emphasized maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region and opposed unilateral attempts to alter the status quo in the Indo-Pacific, including the South China Sea.
The diplomats also addressed China, emphasizing the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait for international security and prosperity. They supported Taiwan's participation in international organizations.
This marks Cho's first overseas trip since the institutional crisis in South Korea, following the declaration of martial law by President Yoon Suk-yeol.