The top diplomats of South Korea, the United States, and Japan are set to meet on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York this week. South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Hyun will join US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya for the discussions, scheduled for Monday afternoon.
The talks aim to reinforce the trilateral partnership and coordinate on key issues, particularly North Korea’s nuclear program. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un recently expressed openness to talks with the United States under certain conditions but reiterated that Pyongyang will not engage in dialogue with South Korea or pursue reunification.
In addition to North Korea, the diplomats are expected to discuss maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, responding to China’s growing assertiveness, and exploring cooperation in emerging technologies, including critical minerals, supply chain stability, and artificial intelligence. The previous top-level diplomatic dialogue between the three nations took place in Malaysia, with a vice foreign minister representing South Korea at the time.