Top diplomats of S. Korea, U.S., and Japan seek stronger sanctions on N. Korea

Top diplomats of S. Korea, U.S., and Japan seek stronger sanctions on N. Korea. September. 20, 2016 07:20. by 조숭호기자, 뉴욕=부형권특파원 shcho@donga.com,bookum90@donga.com. The top diplomats of South Korea, the U.S., and Japan had a meeting on Sunday (local time) in New York to push for a round of sanctions in addition to the existing sanctions issued by the UN in a bid to respond to the ongoing provocations from North Korea. This marks the first time for the three foreign ministers of the countries to announce a statement in the form of a joint statement in six years since North Korean bombardment of Yeonpyeong Island in December 2010.

“We discussed the UN Security Council’s effort to impose additional sanctions on North Korea and reviewed independent measures each country could take to stem the financing for North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs,” said South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byeong-se, who is visiting the U.S. for a UN general assembly, after meeting with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida.

The three chief diplomats also agreed to promote the awareness of the international community on human rights violations in North Korea. Secretary Kerry reaffirmed that his country’s “security commitment to South Korea and Japan is steadfast, and an extended deterrence will be provided based on a full range of nuclear and conventional defense capabilities.”

The foreign ministers of South Korea and Japan held a separate bilateral meeting to discuss measures to counter North Korea’s provocations and strengthen cooperation at an international level that includes China and Russia. It has been reported that an exchange of opinions on security cooperation was also made at the end of the meeting, including a need for the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA).