(LEAD) Top diplomats of S. Korea, U.S., Japan to discuss N. Korea, trilateral cooperation

오석민 / 2026-10-30 11:25:01

(LEAD) S Korea-US-Japan FM talks

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun (L), U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (C) and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi pose for a photo before their trilateral talks in New York on Sept. 21, 2026, in this file photo released by the Associated Press. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

(ATTN: ADDS U.S. announcement, details in paras 3, 7; RECASTS lead)

By Oh Seok-min

SEOUL, Oct. 30 (Yonhap) -- The top diplomats of South Korea, the United States and Japan will meet in the U.S. to discuss Korean Peninsula issues and ways to strengthen economic security cooperation, officials here said Friday.

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun is set to hold trilateral talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta, according to the officials at Seoul's foreign ministry.

In a message to reporters, the U.S. State Department said the trilateral meeting is set to be held at 4:40 p.m. Friday (U.S. time), followed by a signing ceremony for a memorandum of cooperation on the trilateral Arctic-Pacific Partnership at 5:10 p.m., which all three ministers are expected to attend.

The three ministers are expected to assess North Korea's latest missile launches and closer ties between Pyongyang and Beijing following North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's recent visit to China, and discuss ways to coordinate their responses to Pyongyang.

Also on the table would be ways to encourage Pyongyang to return to dialogue, as the South Korean government has stressed its role as a "pacemaker" in efforts to resume talks between Washington and Pyongyang.

Energy and economic security cooperation among the three nations is also expected to feature in the upcoming talks, the officials said.

The three nations are seeking to expand cooperation on Arctic issues to strengthen economic security and diversify energy supplies, as the region grows in commercial and strategic importance. Potential areas of cooperation include Arctic shipping, maritime safety, shipbuilding technology and energy resources.

The three ministers last met in New York in September on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, where they reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea and urged Pyongyang to return to the dialogue table.

In a joint statement issued after the meeting, the ministers stressed that the path to dialogue remained open and reaffirmed their commitment to preventing revenue generation that supports North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs. They also welcomed the work of the U.N. Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT) and progress in addressing North Korean cyberthreats.

Cho is also scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with counterparts from partner countries, including several European nations, on the sidelines of the G20 meeting, the ministry said.

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