U.S., Japan, and South Korea Foreign Ministers Strengthen Trilateral Partnership at G20 Meeting

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met today with Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu and Republic of Korea (ROK) Foreign Minister Cho Hyun on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Atlanta to assess progress in the trilateral partnership advancing security and prosperity throughout the Indo-Pacific. The three diplomats signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) establishing the Trilateral Arctic Pacific Partnership (TAPP), aimed at fostering maritime cooperation and strengthening economic ties in the Pacific Arctic region.

The ministers reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and underscored the necessity of fully implementing United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs), particularly those restricting revenue streams supporting North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs. They praised the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT) for its efforts in uncovering DPRK violations and sanctions evasion. Additionally, the ministers emphasized the critical importance of preserving peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Secretary Rubio also voiced concerns over China’s territorial assertions in the South China Sea, its coercive actions in the East China Sea and Yellow Sea, and the broader implications of Sino-Russian collaboration on regional security in the Indo-Pacific.

The ministers emphasized the growing significance of economic security and reiterated their shared rejection of economic coercion and the exploitation of supply chains for strategic advantage. They reviewed progress on the trilateral Memorandum of Cooperation on Small Modular Reactor Deployments, originally signed in Ankara on July 7, which leverages the industrial capabilities of all three nations to enhance global energy security. They further explored cooperative initiatives in economic security identified during the October 15 trilateral economic security consultation held in Seoul.

Reaffirming the principles outlined in the U.S.-Japan-ROK trilateral joint statement released on September 21, 2026, the ministers pledged to sustain high-level trilateral dialogue and coordination moving forward.

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