Joint Statement of the 13th Trilateral Defense Talks
1. U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Ely Ratner, Japan Director-General for Defense Policy Masuda Kazuo and Republic of Korea (ROK) Deputy Minister for National Defense Policy Heo Tae-keun convened the 13th trilateral defense talks (DTT) a ) in Washington, DC, on April 14, 2023. The representatives exchanged assessments of the security environment on the Korean peninsula and in the wider region, and discussed concrete ways to deepen security cooperation among the US, Japan and ROK.
2. The three defense officials confirmed that each side will remain vigilant and enhance trilateral security cooperation to counter the DPRK’s nuclear and missile threats and strengthen peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula and Indo-Pacific region . They condemned in the strongest possible terms the DPRK’s repeated violations of United Nations Security Council (UNSCR) resolutions, including its ongoing nuclear and missile provocations and illegal ship-to-ship transfers, and reiterated the international community’s common goal to ensure this that the DPRK fully complies with its obligations under the relevant UNSCRs. They urged the DPRK to immediately halt all destabilizing activities. They reiterated that a nuclear test in the DPRK, if carried out, would meet with a strong and determined response from the international community. They also reiterated that the path to dialogue for a peaceful and diplomatic solution with the DPRK remains open, and the three officials urged the DPRK to return to negotiations. To this end, US and Japanese officials expressed their support for the goal of the ROK government’s “Audacious Initiative,” which aligns with the three sides’ joint commitment to achieve full denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.
3. The three representatives also discussed the security situation in the Indo-Pacific region and reaffirmed their shared commitment to the rules-based international order. They stressed the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. They reiterated the need to stand with Ukraine against Russia’s unprovoked and brutal war of aggression, recognizing that this is a grave violation of territorial integrity and sovereignty that undermines the fabric of the entire international order.
4. The three sides discussed the regularization of anti-missile and anti-submarine exercises to deter and respond to the DPRK’s nuclear and missile threats, and discussed ways to resume trilateral exercises, including sea interdiction and anti-piracy exercises, to promote peace and promote stability in the region more effectively.
5. The United States expressed its full support for the pledges of Japan and ROK to further strengthen communication and cooperation between defense agencies, particularly in leveraging their respective bilateral General Security of Military Information (GSOMIA) agreements for peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and in the Korea region.
6. In line with the commitment by the leaders of the US, Japan and the ROK to exchange “real-time DPRK missile warning data” at the Phnom Penh Summit on November 13, 2022, the three representatives reiterated ongoing work on full exploitation the existing information frameworks including the Trilateral Information Sharing Arrangement (TISA) to improve coordination and cooperation between the three countries.
7. The United States also reaffirmed its ironclad commitment to defending Japan and the ROK, backed by the full range of defense capabilities, including nuclear weapons.
8. The three representatives reiterated that the discussion during the 13th trilateral defense talks greatly contributed to a major development of US-Japan-ROC security cooperation. They also agreed to hold the 14th trilateral defense talks in Seoul next year on a date to be decided jointly.
