S. Korea, US, Japan reaffirm denuclearization commitment, vow dialogue with N. Korea

SEOUL, July 8 (Yonhap) -- The top diplomats of South Korea, the United States and Japan have reaffirmed their commitment to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and vowed to continue efforts to pursue dialogue with North Korea, Seoul's foreign ministry said Wednesday.

The commitment was made during trilateral talks held Tuesday on the sidelines of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Ankara between Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, according to the ministry.

"The ministers shared assessments of the situation on the Korean Peninsula and agreed to maintain close coordination on North Korea-related policies, including efforts to counter Pyongyang's illicit cyberactivities," the ministry said in a release.

"While reaffirming their commitment to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, they also agreed to continue efforts to maintain peace and stability through dialogue and diplomacy," it added.

The ministers also exchanged views on regional and global developments, including the situation in the Middle East, and pledged to continue "close coordination and make necessary contributions."

The three countries also agreed to strengthen practical cooperation in economic security and supply chain resilience.

The ministers welcomed the signing of a memorandum of cooperation (MOC) to establish a framework for trilateral cooperation on accelerating the deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs) in third countries, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region, according to the ministry.

"Building on achievements in areas such as nuclear energy, artificial intelligence and quantum technology, they agreed to further deepen practical cooperation and stressed the importance of strengthening supply chain resilience and coordinating responses to economic coercion," the ministry said.

Tuesday's meeting marked the first trilateral foreign ministers' talks since the three top diplomats last met on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the southeastern South Korean city of Gyeongju in October last year.

"The three foreign ministers agreed to continue meeting and maintaining close communication as frequently as possible while working to deliver tangible results in various areas of trilateral cooperation," the ministry said.