South Korea, the U.S. and Japan "strongly condemn North Korean threat"... "concerned" by reports of "North Korea dispatch"

Korea-U.S.-Japan Council of Foreign Ministers...Discussing ways to respond to the 'North Korean threat'

"Strong condemnation of the North Korean threat...trilateral cooperation to respond firmly"

Agreement to hold Korea-U.S.-Japan summit within this year...Schedule consultation

Establishment of a Multinational Monitoring Team (MSMT) to Monitor Violations of Sanctions against North Korea

[Anchor]
Following the alleged infiltration of drones and the bombing of roads between the two Koreas, the vice foreign ministers of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan met in Seoul to discuss countermeasures in the face of North Korea's increasing threat.

South Korea, the U.S. and Japan strongly condemned North Korea's provocations, while expressing deep concern over reports of the North's dispatch of troops to the war in Ukraine.

Reporter Hong Sun-ki reports.

[Reporter]
The day after North Korea blew up the last land route between the two Koreas, South Korea, the U.S. and Japan met in Seoul.

Although it was the first regular meeting in five months, of course, discussions on countermeasures against North Korea's threats were focused on.

South Korea, the U.S. and Japan strongly condemned North Korea's threat and agreed to cooperate for a firm response.

[Kim Hong Kyun / Vice Foreign Minister: We decided to respond firmly to any North Korean provocations by maintaining a solid South Korea-U.S. joint defense posture and strengthening security cooperation under close cooperation between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan.]

Concerns about illegal military cooperation between North Korea and Russia have also been emphasized.

In particular, he called for an immediate halt, saying that North Korea's material support is already having a real impact on the battlefield.

However, he expressed deep concern about reports that North Korea sent troops to the war in Ukraine to help Russia, saying it is too early to conclude.

[U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell: There are reports of additional activities, but we are still evaluating these reports and are very concerned.]

In this consultation, we agreed to hold the Korea-U.S.-Japan summit within this year and agreed to discuss specific schedules.

Meanwhile, a new international consultative body, a multinational system monitoring team, has also been formed to monitor violations of UN Security Council sanctions against North Korea.

A total of 11 countries, including the United Kingdom, France, and Australia, participated in the organization, including the three countries of Korea, the United States, and Japan.

However, as the credibility of the United Nations has disappeared and China and Russia have been excluded, there are concerns that its influence is limited.

This is YTN Hong Seon-gi.