Kuala lumpur: South Korea, the United States, and Japan convened trilateral ministerial talks on the sidelines of a multilateral gathering in Malaysia, Seoul officials reported. The discussions likely focused on steep U.S. tariffs and various shared regional and global issues.
According to Yonhap News Agency, First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo represented South Korea in the meeting alongside U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya. The talks occurred in conjunction with the foreign ministers' meeting hosted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
This meeting marked the first high-level dialogue among the senior diplomats from these three nations since the inception of the Lee Jae Myung administration in June. Park attended the forum on behalf of the foreign minister, as the appointment process is ongoing.
The significance of the talks, with South Korea represented by the vice minister, underscores the importance of the trilateral partnership, which was previously elevated under earlier administrations. The meeting came at a time when Seoul is engaged in negotiations with Washington to mitigate the impact of tariff hikes on its export-driven economy. President Donald Trump has informed both Seoul and Tokyo that the "reciprocal" tariffs will commence on August 1.
Both South Korea and Japan are facing 25 percent duties on their exports. Trump's announcement effectively extended the original deadline from July 9, following a 90-day suspension of the measure.
The discussions were also expected to cover regional security issues, including the strengthening military ties between North Korea and Russia, and China's increasing assertiveness. The previous trilateral talks among these countries took place in Brussels in April during the foreign ministers' meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
In a joint statement post-talks, the three nations called for an end to actions destabilizing security around the Taiwan Strait, indirectly warning China against its rising military activities in the region. They also emphasized their commitment to enhancing industry cooperation, particularly in U.S. liquefied natural gas and shipbuilding, sectors highlighted by Trump for collaboration with South Korea and Japan.