U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III, Japanese Minister of Defense Hamada Yasukazu and Republic of Korea (ROK) Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-Sup met in Singapore on June 3 to discuss the growing nuclear and missile threats emanating from North Korea (DPRK).
“When our three countries work together to strengthen regional peace and stability, we are all safer,” Austin said in a tweet.
The three leaders also used the trilateral ministerial meeting to strengthen military exercises and address common security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region, according to a Defense Department release issued June 3.
During the meeting, Austin, Hamada and Lee voiced their shared determination to achieve the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. They also affirmed their support for Ukraine against Russia's unprovoked aggression, denouncing the violation of territorial integrity and sovereignty, according to the release.
The importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait was underscored, along with the need to adhere to international law; the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to respond firmly to the DPRK threat through increased trilateral cooperation and collaboration with the international community, acknowledging the progress made to activate a data sharing mechanism.
This mechanism aims to facilitate the exchange of real-time missile warning data between the three countries before the end of the year.
They discussed other regional security matters and reiterated the importance of deepening trilateral cooperation to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific. Key areas identified for collaboration included information sharing, high-level policy consultations and trilateral exercises.
In addition, Austin and the two ministers expressed their commitment to conducting maritime interdiction exercises, anti-piracy exercises and exploring additional areas, such as disaster relief and humanitarian assistance for expanded trilateral cooperation.