Army Gen. Robert B. Brown, the U.S. Army Pacific commander, held an early morning trilateral meeting here May 23 with South Korean Army Chief of Staff Gen. Jang Jun-Gyu and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Chief of Staff Gen. Toshiya Okabe ahead of the 2017 Land Forces in the Pacific Symposium, held May 23-25.
"This historic meeting between such tremendous partners demonstrates the ironclad relationship between our three countries and is more important now than at any time," Brown said.
U.S., Asia-Pacific Security Cooperation
The three leaders agreed that cooperation between the U.S., Japan, and South Korea is of the utmost importance in the face of threats from North Korea. Readiness, training and interoperability of their forces were among the priorities as they discussed security and cooperation across the Pacific, readiness of land forces, and integration of those land forces into multiple domains.
The annual symposium has grown significantly in scope and impact since it began in 2013. Army leaders from 27 countries across the Indo-Asia-Pacific region discussed a variety of topics during fifteen panels and forums and met with industry partners, but this was the first trilateral meeting of this kind. The breakfast meeting laid the foundation for future discussions on trilateral defense cooperation.
Brown noted that such meetings are significant in that they "enable cooperation among regional powers in Northeast Asia".
The three leaders agreed to a follow-up meeting at the Pacific Armies Chiefs Conference/Pacific Armies Management Seminar being co-hosted by South Korea and the United States in September.