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# 									U.S.-Japan-Republic of Korea Trilateral Meeting							

FPC Briefing

Kurt M. Campbell, Deputy Secretary of State

Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Masataka Okano of Japan 

Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Hong Kyun Kim of Republic of Korea

Friday, May 31, 2024, 1:15 p.m. ET

Washington, D.C.

May 31, 2024

## 								Summary							

        -  Deputy Secretary of State Campbell hosts Vice Foreign Ministers Okano and Kim at his farmhouse in Washington, VA for a series of trilateral meetings focused on the U.S.-ROK-Japan partnership. Topics of discussion include energy, tech, security, regional and global challenges, and the broader Indo-Pacific partnership.   

**THE WASHINGTON FOREIGN PRESS CENTER, WASHINGTON, D.C.**

**DEPUTY SECRETARY CAMPBELL:**  So good afternoon, friends from the press.  Welcome to Rappahannock, Virginia.  This is Iron Bell Farm.  It’s been in my family for about 30 years.  I’m so pleased to be able to welcome you all here today.

I think as you all know that we’re having a trilateral between the United States, Japan, and South Korea – treasured friends.  We meet in the wake of the Camp David trilateral between our three leaders in which each country committed to forging a path ahead of close coordination, cooperation, new areas of working together not just in Northeast Asia but globally.  We’ve had a series of bilateral engagements over the last couple of days, and now we’re going to culminate in these trilateral gatherings here.

Our goal will be to prepare the way for a leaders meeting at the trilateral level later this year.  We have a number of things that we are working on together.  We’re supporting some joint initiatives in the Pacific.  We’re going to launch a number of areas of dialogue.  We are committed to forming some sort of coordinating body, a secretariat of some kind.  We have been tasked by our leaders to support that, to make sure that we maintain forward momentum on the important work of this trilateral grouping.

I would say that many things have been accomplished during the Biden administration.  I think that the President feels proudest and happiest about this substantial positive move among the three great nations of Northeast Asia.  So it is my honor to welcome Minister Kim, Minister Okano here to Washington, Virginia.  And again, I want to thank you all for making the long drive out today and we appreciate it.  We’ll each make some statements and then take a few questions.  

Please.

**VICE MINISTER OKANO:**Thank you very much and thank you, thank you, Mr. Campbell, for hosting us in such a beautiful setting.  It is my great pleasure to participate for the first time to vice ministerial trilateral talk.  The more we work together, the more we can achieve, and this is a significant meaning of the trilateral cooperations.  So we’re going to discuss many, many things in many areas and many issues, and we will be able to align our policy toward a better future.  So I’m very happy to be able to work with Kurt and Mr. Kim today.  Thank you.

**DEPUTY SECRETARY CAMPBELL:**  Thank you very much.  Minister Kim, please.  (Inaudible) microphones, sir.

**VICE MINISTER KIM:**  Well, thank you.  Thank you, Kurt.  Thank you for this nice weather and thank you for the invitation to this farm.  Well, I have a prepared text.  If I may, I would like to read some of that.

**DEPUTY SECRETARY CAMPBELL:**  Please.  Koreans are always so much better prepared than us.  (Laughter.)

**VICE MINISTER KIM:**  Yes.  We always prepare.  We are always prepared.  (Laughter.)

**DEPUTY SECRETARY CAMPBELL:**  Yeah.

**VICE MINISTER KIM:**  Well, thank you very much and thank you, you and your team, for arranging this wonderful meeting.  Today’s U.S.-Japan-ROK vice foreign ministerial dialogue is the first since the historic Camp David summit last year.  The three of us will explore ways to even further deepen and develop the monumental achievement of our leaders.  

First, we will continue to strengthen trilateral security cooperation.  As all of us know, North Korea continues to violate multiple UN Security Council resolutions and threaten the region with its nuclear and missile program.  The failed May 27 launch of a so-called military reconnaissance satellite is the latest example of such provocative acts.  These actions will only solidify our resolve to strengthen security cooperation.  Since the Camp David Summit, our countries have already made much progress.

Building upon our achievements, I look forward to having an in-depth discussions on ways to further enhance our trilateral security cooperation.  Despite strong warnings from the international community, Russia and North Korea are continuing the illegal arms transactions and transfers of refined oil.  Last week, our three countries in coordination with likeminded partners announced unilateral sanctions against Russian ships and North Korean personnel to counter their illicit transactions.  We will continue to work together with the international community to curb the unlawful Russia-North Korea cooperation.  

And second, we will identify ways to expand trilateral coordination as we address regional and global challenges.  We will coordinate our effort to create synergy and support in key regional partners such as ASEAN and Pacific Islands countries, and to promote cooperation in maritime security.  

And third, we will also look for ways to strengthen the trilateral economy, security, and advanced technology partnership issues that are important to prosperity and livelihoods of three – our people.  Drawing on our own respective capabilities, we have worked closely together on supply chain, particularly through early warning system pilot.  We have committed to increased trilateral consultations on critical and emerging technologies and expand shared research projects.  I look forward to extensive exchange of views on how we can contribute to the dynamic development of the entire Indo-Pacific through our advanced cooperation.  

In sum, we have a lot to cover today.  We will take stock of our achievements, we will identify the new avenues of cooperation and partnership, and deepen the bonds of our friendship.  Thank you, Kurt, again.  

**DEPUTY SECRETARY CAMPBELL:**  Good.  Well done.  That’s great.  

**VICE MINISTER KIM:**  Thank you.  

**DEPUTY SECRETARY CAMPBELL:**  Here – and I’m – we’re happy to take a few questions.  Please, just one at a time.  And if you wouldn’t mind, just announce who you represent, please.  

**MODERATOR:**  Thank you, sir. 

**QUESTION:**  Thank you very much for this press availability.  Yonhap News Agency.  And my question goes to Secretary Kurt Campbell.  As you know, we know that North Korea continues to violate UN Security Council (inaudible) resolutions and – with the missile launches and a satellite launch this week.  And this comes after the termination of the UN expert panel (inaudible). 

**DEPUTY SECRETARY CAMPBELL:**  Yes.  

**QUESTION:**  So are there any new measures under consideration – either bilateral, trilateral, or unilateral – to deal with this provocations and prevent them and deal with the North Korean threats?  And I’m also wondering if – how the three countries are coordinating in order to enlist China’s cooperation or support in this regard.  Thank you.  

**DEPUTY SECRETARY CAMPBELL:**So first of all, let me just say that I think that the most important response that the United States, Japan, and South Korea can demonstrate is a full resolve to be united in standing against provocations from North Korea.  And I think you’ve seen with every action that North Korea – provocative action that North Korea has taken, there has been combined three-way responses from our three countries.  And increasingly, other countries in the Indo-Pacific and in Europe have supported our efforts to send a strong signal of disapproval to North Korea.

I met yesterday with Executive Vice Foreign Minister Ma.  I’d coordinated closely with Japanese and Korean friends in advance.  We made very clear of our concerns of North Korea’s provocative actions.  We asked for China to weigh in on Pyongyang to ask them to, first of all, refrain from such actions and to accept the offers of dialogue and diplomacy that each of our three countries have put on the table.  I think it’s fair to say that China still maintains close ties with North Korea.  I think they too have some anxieties of steps that North Korea has taken with respect to providing dangerous military equipment to Russia in this desperate time of battlefield tensions in Ukraine.  We will continue to make our case with China and other countries about our concerns of North Korean activities.  

Friends, anything you want to add?  Okay. 

**MODERATOR:**  Okay.  Thank you.  Let’s go here. 

**QUESTION:**  Hi.  My name is Takayuki Fuchigami from Yomiuri Shimbun, Japanese newspaper.  My question goes to Vice Minister Okano-san.  So China has conducted a large-scale exercise just after inauguration of Taiwan’s new president, and North Korea is – keep on launching its missiles.  The security environment in the region is becoming more and more severe.  So under these circumstances, could you tell us how important this trilateral framework is for Japan?  And if there are any challenges or areas of improvement, please let us know.

**VICE MINISTER OKANO:**Thank you very much for this question.  My answer is quite simple:  We have more shared interests and we have more shared agendas.  So if we work together, we can produce a more relevant and efficient result.  That’s a spirit that we have to work on.  Last August our three leaders took the initiative to announce the Spirit of Camp David.  And since then, we have committed ourselves to work together and deepen our collaboration across domains and across the Indo-Pacific and beyond.  And this is because we believe in the strong trust being built among the three countries right now, and we believe in the value of working together at the time when the international community is facing a challenge defining our era.  And this trilateral vice minister-level dialogue is a great opportunity to confirm that our joint endeavor is worth doing, valid, and produce relevant results.  

Thank you.

**MODERATOR:**Okay.  Let’s go over here to David.  

**QUESTION:**  Thank you. 

**DEPUTY SECRETARY CAMPBELL:**Hey, David.  

**QUESTION:**  Good to see you.  Thank you very much to all of you for doing this.  Secretary Campbell, I wanted to ask you about the Chinese position.  In Brussels you talked about the possibility of (inaudible) on China (inaudible) Russia.  And you specifically mentioned the Chinese leadership as a (inaudible).  I mean, could we see sanctions directed in the future against the Chinese leadership?  And is it possible we could see finally some sanctions against Chinese banks? 

**DEPUTY SECRETARY CAMPBELL:**So, look, I think where we are primarily focused are on Chinese companies that have been involved in a systematic way in supporting Russia.  We’ve also looked closely at financial institutions.  My goal in NATO was to engage both at the EU and NATO with allied partners in Europe to both explain our concerns by what China has done over a significant period of time, aiding and supporting Russia’s efforts to reconstitute its military, which we see on full display in the battlefields of Ukraine.  I think we were persuasive in making our case for the need for collective action.  I don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, but I think we’ve made very clear that there in fact will be steps that are taken, not just by the United States but other countries signaling our profound displeasure about what China is seeking to do in its relationship with Russia on the battlefield in Ukraine.  

**MODERATOR:** Dave, do you have a question for Vice Foreign Minister Kim?  

**QUESTION:**  I have a little question, and this question goes to Vice Minister Kim.  And will there be any progress from this trilateral meeting in terms of joint efforts to find an alternative to the – the UN expert panel that has been disbanded because of Russia’s veto in April? 

**VICE MINISTER KIM:**Well, after the disbandment of the UN expert panel, we are working closely to find a new monitoring system to monitor the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions.  Of course, our three countries will be the main force to find that – the new mechanisms, but we are also working with likeminded countries.  And it will take some time, but we have already begun our discussions on this issue, and the goal is you find more effective mechanisms to monitor the implementation of the UN Security Council resolutions.  

**DEPUTY SECRETARY CAMPBELL:**Great.  A couple more questions will do.  Okay. 

**MODERATOR:**We’ll take a couple more for Deputy Secretary.  

**DEPUTY SECRETARY CAMPBELL:**Yeah. 

**MODERATOR:**Let’s go here.  

**QUESTION:**  Okay.  

**DEPUTY SECRETARY CAMPBELL:**Hi. 

**QUESTION:**  Hi.  I’m Teruyuki Kashimoto with Japanese television network TBS.  

**DEPUTY SECRETARY CAMPBELL:**Hi.  Nice to see you.  How are you? 

**QUESTION:**  Thank you for this opportunity.  I’d like to ask you a question regarding the – some remarks made by President Marcos of the Philippines that he made at the —

**DEPUTY SECRETARY CAMPBELL:**Shangri-La.  Yeah. 

**QUESTION:**  — dialogue in Singapore.  Well, he said that if the Philippines citizens were to be killed in a clash with the Chinese coast guard, it would be very close to what we define as an act of war, and the Philippines would respond accordingly.  He also said the U.S. would hold the same standard in the support the Philippines in any joint action.

**DEPUTY SECRETARY CAMPBELL:**Yeah.

**QUESTION:**  And would you agree with him?  And what’s the —   

**DEPUTY SECRETARY CAMPBELL:**So, look, in these sorts of situations – first of all, I want to commend the speech by President Marcos in Shangri-La.  It was strong.  It was purposeful.  It was met with an enormous amount of support from the attending countries that were there earlier today.  We try not to answer hypothetical questions.  I will say that every person in the U.S. Government from the President, the Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, National Security Advisor, has been very clear of our rock-solid relationship with the Philippines, our determination to stand by them as they cope with provocations and challenges to clear parts of Philippine territory.  I think we fundamentally believe that the United States and the Philippines are moving towards a closer set of relations in which we will be able to strengthen our security partnership.  I think as you know, the day after the summit that was held between the United States and Japan, the state visit, we held an unprecedented trilateral.  And so the Philippines is not just working with the United States but other likeminded partners on their efforts to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea.  

**MODERATOR:**  Okay.  I think we have time for one more, and we’ll go here to Iain. 

**DEPUTY SECRETARY CAMPBELL:**  Yeah. 

**QUESTION:**  Thanks.  It’s Iain Marlow from Bloomberg.  I just have a question on China.  I mean, the U.S. has obviously tried to balance stabilizing ties more recently with economic national security measures, from CHIPS to (inaudible) tariffs.  But I’m just wondering if you – what you would say to critics that say human rights questions have fallen down the list of U.S. priorities in that relationship.  I just wanted to ask that with the anniversary of the Tiananmen —

**DEPUTY SECRETARY CAMPBELL:**  Yeah.

**QUESTION:**  — coming next week, and also some of the recent events we’ve seen in Hong Kong, from the new security legislation to the verdict we had last week on the democracy opposition. 

**DEPUTY SECRETARY CAMPBELL:**  Thank you for that.  I won’t get into detailed descriptions of our private interactions with Executive Vice Foreign Minister Ma, but I do want to underscore that human rights issues were raised both at the State Department and the White House, and our concerns about steps that China has taken in Hong Kong, which we believe are antithetical to the international arrangements they agreed to in the 1980s.  So ultimately, we believe that it is important in any engagement with China that you talk not only about national security and economic issues but also our concerns about human rights in China per se. 

**MODERATOR:**  One more (inaudible).

**DEPUTY SECRETARY CAMPBELL:**  Okay.  We’ll do one more.  Yeah, thanks. 

**QUESTION:**  Thank you, Deputy Secretary Mr. Campbell.  This is Nike Ching from Voice of America.  

**DEPUTY SECRETARY CAMPBELL:**  Yes, hi. 

**QUESTION:**  Hi.  Did you get a debrief from your counterparts after the senior leaders from Japan, PRC, and South Korea met in Seoul before Monday?  And what is your takeaway?  

And also, can you talk about the importance to maintain the status quo of Taiwan Strait as international waterway? 

**DEPUTY SECRETARY CAMPBELL:**  Yeah.  So first of all, one of the first things that both Japan and South Korea did in our discussions, our bilateral discussions, was to brief us about developments that took place in the trilateral meeting.  I will say that we welcome renewed diplomacy between China, Japan, and South Korea.  We think that there are a number of issues that are just important for the three countries to address.  We appreciate the partnership with both Japan and South Korea trusting us with a very deep and sincere debrief, and we welcome these steps towards increasing dialogue and discussion on the critical matters of Northeast Asia. 

And look, I would just simply say, as you know, we had the inauguration last week.  The United States sent an unofficial delegation to Taiwan.  I think we celebrated the demonstration of their democracy, and we have made clear in every possible way that not only has our policy remained unchanged but that we are deeply vigilant in terms of our determination to – peace – to maintain peace and stability and to support the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. 

Guys, thank you very much.  Thank you for making your way out here.  I hope you guys enjoy it a little bit.  I’ll just say a couple of words.  This area of Virginia is very hard-fought.  This is on the road to Gettysburg, and so as you drive through here, you will see many markers to signify Stonewall Jackson camped near here.  Many of the groups that later fought in Gettysburg moved through this area.  Shenandoah National Park is right above us.  This is the oldest – one of the oldest towns in Virginia.  It was surveyed by a young George Washington before he joined the Continental Army.  He was 16 or 17 years old, and the town was named after him as a result. 

It hosts the Inn at Little Washington, one of the finest restaurants in the world.  It is a lovely place to come and visit.  People are quite friendly.  I think you’ll enjoy it if you have a few minutes out here.  I do want to say we know that it is quite an imposition to make you come all this way out here.  We are deeply grateful.  

I will say this is something that we’ve been looking forward to a long time.  This is a partnership that we treasure.  These are friends that we hold close and dearly.  And I’m thrilled that we’re going to be able to have this time together and a nice dinner, and then just an opportunity to get to know each other a little bit more personally as well. 

So again, thank you for visiting.  Drive safely back.  Enjoy your time out here in Virginia.  Thank you. 

**QUESTION:**  (Inaudible.)  Do you see the possibility of a trilateral summit on the margins of NATO Summit?

**DEPUTY SECRETARY CAMPBELL:**  So look, I think we’re committed to doing a trilateral meeting at the leader level.  We haven’t decided exactly.  Very important to the President.  Very important to President Yoon.  Very important to Prime Minister Kishida.  This is the highest priority for us for the remainder of this year. 

All right, you guys.  Thank you all very much.  Drive safely.

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Bureau of East Asian and Pacific AffairsDistrict of ColumbiaForeign Press CentersForeign Press CentersJapanNew YorkSouth Korea

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