Honolulu, 2 September 2022 (TDI): White House National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan met with his national security counterparts from Japan and the Republic of Korea. The meeting took place at the headquarters of the United States Indo-Pacific Command.
National Security Secretariat Secretary General Akiba Takeo of Japan and South Korea’s Director of the National Security Office Kim Sung-han were present at the meeting.
The meeting between the top national security advisers of South Korea, Japan, and the United States was the first of its kind in 16 months.
Great conversations with my colleagues and friends from Japan and the Republic of Korea at US INDOPACOM HQ today in Honolulu. Trilateral cooperation has never been stronger or more important and we are ready to do more. pic.twitter.com/WGK3kp9aT1
— Jake Sullivan (@JakeSullivan46) September 2, 2022
US-South Korea Defense Relations
The United States and the Republic of Korea have a long history of collaboration founded on mutual trust, shared ideals of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, and shared strategic interests.
The United States has kept Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine forces in the Republic of Korea (ROK) to fulfill its obligation under the U.S.-ROK Mutual Defense Treaty to assist the ROK in defending itself from external aggression.
In recent years, the U.S.-ROK Alliance has grown into a global partnership. Consequently, the ROK’s role as a regional and global leader continues to expand.
Also read: US deploys Aircraft Carrier in Korean Peninsula
In 2019, the Republic of Korea deployed naval assets in the Strait of Hormuz and share information with the International Maritime Security Construct.
US-Japan Military Ties
The U.S.-Japan Alliance is the cornerstone of U.S. security interests in Asia. Furthermore, it is essential to the stability and development of the region.
The Alliance is based on shared vital interests and values, such as the maintenance of stability in the Indo-Pacific region, and the preservation and promotion of political and economic freedoms.
It also supports human rights and democratic institutions, and the expansion of prosperity for the people of both nations and the international community.
The U.S.-Japan Alliance was strengthened in 2015 with the publication of the revised U.S.-Japan Defense Guidelines. The guidelines call for new and expanded forms of security-focused collaboration.
Japan supplies bases as well as financial and material assistance to U.S. forward-deployed forces. The forces are crucial to the maintenance of regional stability.
