SK, US, Japan agree to boost cooperation vs. NK provocations

Defense authorities of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan have agreed to steadily strengthen cooperation to counter North Korea’s provocations.

The South Korean Defense Ministry said Sunday that Minister Kim Kwan-jin, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Japan’s Vice Defense Minister Shu Watanebe reached the agreement in a meeting of the three countries` top defense officials held on the sidelines of the 11th Asia Security Summit in Singapore. The accord was based on their joint recognition that the North`s provocations are "acts that threaten all three countries.”

The three ministers said in a joint news statement, “The three ministers concurred that North Korea`s continued provocations including its sinking of the ROK (Republic of Korea) naval corvette Cheonan, shelling of Yeonpyeong Island in 2010, and its missile launch in April 2012 pose a serious threat to the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula, Northeast Asia and the world.”

"North Korea needs to understand that it will achieve nothing by threats or provocations, and that such behavior will only deepen its international isolation."

The statement said, "The three ministers welcome that the U.N. Security Council made clear its determination to take action in the event of a further North Korean (missile) launch or nuclear test,” adding, “The ministers also agreed to reinforce trilateral collaboration for regional peace and stability and expand the scope of collaboration that includes humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, maritime security, protecting freedom of navigation, and non-proliferation."

The annual Asia Security Summit is organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies since 2002. The event is attended by defense ministers, chairmen of Joint Chiefs of Staff and security specialists from the Asia-Pacific region.