The foreign ministers of South Korea, the United States, and Japan are set to convene in Brussels, Belgium, on the sidelines of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) foreign ministers’ meeting to discuss cooperation strategies.
During his visit to Brussels, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae Yul will meet with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi on Thursday for a trilateral foreign ministers’ meeting. They will address issues concerning North Korea’s nuclear issues, regional stability, and economic cooperation.
This marks the first gathering of the three foreign ministers since their meeting in Germany during the Munich Security Conference (MSC) about two months ago.
The meeting comes after President Donald Trump’s decision to impose reciprocal tariffs of 25% on South Korea and 24% on Japan.
In light of this, Minister Cho and Iwaya may raise concerns about the tariffs with Secretary Rubio. However, given that this is not a bilateral meeting, it’s unlikely they will be able to delve deeply into the issue or strongly assert their positions.
The three foreign ministers are expected to reaffirm their commitment to a coordinated response to North Korea-related issues, including North Korea’s military cooperation with Russia and its nuclear and missile programs.
Recent reports suggest that the U.S. Department of Defense’s Interim National Defense Strategy Guidance includes language indicating that allies should take the lead in deterring North Korean threats while the U.S. focuses on China-related matters. In this context, the ministers may seek to reaffirm America’s unwavering commitment to extended deterrence.
As ceasefire negotiations in Ukraine continue, there is speculation about whether the ministers will discuss North Korean military prisoners.
The meeting may also emphasize the importance of close coordination with South Korea in the process of establishing policy against North Korea by the second Trump administration and in facilitating U.S.-North Korea dialogue.
There is a possibility that a separate joint statement will be issued following this meeting.
South Korea has been invited to the NATO foreign ministers’ meeting for the fourth consecutive year, joining Japan, Australia, and New Zealand as part of the Indo-Pacific Partners (IP4) group.
Minister Cho is scheduled to participate in the Allies-Indo-Pacific Partners session, where he will express South Korea’s commitment to strengthening strategic cooperation with NATO.