Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Ely Ratner spoke today with Republic of Korea (ROK) Deputy Minister for National Defense Policy Heo Tae-keun and Japan Director-General for Defense Policy Kano Koji. The officials discussed and strongly condemned the DPRK's ballistic missile launches on December 17 as a violation of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Assistant Secretary Ratner reaffirmed U.S. extended deterrence commitments to the defense of Japan and the ROK. The officials also praised the announcement that the U.S., Japan, and the ROK have fully activated a real-time DPRK missile warning data sharing mechanism and established a multi-year, trilateral exercise plan.
These achievements underscore the progress of the U.S.-Japan-ROK trilateral relationship since the historic Camp David Summit and are emblematic of the three countries' commitment to ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.