(ATTN: RECASTS lead; UPDATES, EDITS throughout with Seoul foreign ministry's press release; ADDS photo)
By Chang Dong-woo
WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 (Yonhap) -- The top diplomats of South Korea, the United States and Japan on Friday reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea during trilateral talks, while agreeing to maintain a robust deterrence posture and pursue peace through dialogue and diplomacy, according to the countries' foreign ministries.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi on the sidelines of a Group of 20 (G20) meeting in Atlanta, marking their first trilateral meeting in about a month.
"The secretary and foreign ministers reaffirmed their resolute commitment to the complete denuclearization" of North Korea and the full implementation of U.N. Security Council resolutions, the U.S. State Department said in a readout.
The three ministers also called on North Korea to join efforts to ease tensions and establish lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula, according to South Korea's foreign ministry.
They agreed to maintain a robust deterrence posture against North Korea through close coordination while continuing efforts to achieve peace, stability and denuclearization on the peninsula through dialogue and diplomacy, the ministry said.
Cho emphasized that South Korea would fulfill its role as a "pacemaker" in efforts to establish a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula and resume dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang, in close coordination with the U.S.
The three ministers also underscored the need to enforce U.N. sanctions prohibiting activities that generate revenue for Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile programs, while commending the work of the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT) in exposing North Korea's sanctions violations and evasion.
They emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, according to the State Department.
Rubio also raised concerns about China's actions in the South China Sea, East China Sea and Yellow Sea, as well as cooperation between Russia and China that Washington says undermines peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.
The three ministers also agreed to strengthen cooperation on economic security, including diversifying critical mineral supply chains, small modular reactors (SMRs), artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies, according to Seoul's foreign ministry.
During the meeting, they signed a memorandum of cooperation establishing a Trilateral Arctic Pacific Partnership (TAPP) to explore maritime cooperation and economic partnerships in the Pacific Arctic.
The South Korean ministry said the three countries would pursue cooperation on maritime safety and emergency response in the region, including through the Arctic Council and a newly planned working group.
Separately, Cho held talks with Rubio on the sidelines of the G20 meeting, discussing bilateral relations, high-level exchanges and visa-related issues, according to the ministry.
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