S. Korea to 'normalize' security cooperation with Japan to address N.K. threats: minister

All News 11:53 June 12, 2022

By Song Sang-ho

SINGAPORE, June 12 (Yonhap) -- South Korea seeks to "normalize" security cooperation with Japan and strengthen trilateral collaboration involving the United States to address North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, Seoul's defense minister said Sunday.

Lee Jong-sup was speaking at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue in this city state, striving to drum up global support to tackle the security challenges.

He delivered an emphatic message that instability on the Korean Peninsula can lead to instability in the overall Indo-Pacific region.

This year's session of Asia's premier defense forum took place amid increased tensions caused by the North's recent ballistic missile launches and its preparations for a nuclear test. Security concerns deepened further after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reaffirmed his regime's principle of "power for power and head-on contest" during a recent key ruling party session.

The minister said that South Korea intends to engage in a "serious" dialogue with Japan not just to normalize security cooperation between the two countries but also to beef up trilateral cooperation with the U.S.

He pointed out "unresolved issues" between Seoul and Tokyo in an apparent allusion to historical and other rows largely stemming from Japan's 1910-45 colonization of the Korean Peninsula.

But he expressed Seoul's intention to "have the two sides put their wisdom together to reach reasonable solutions in a way that is in line with the two countries' shared interests."

Lee also laid out the Yoon Suk-yeol administration's goal to denuclearize the North in a "complete, verifiable" manner, stressing "our principle to establish a sustainable peace on the Korean Peninsula will remain firm and robust."

"To this end, we will set forth clear corresponding measures with the international community to pursue the denuclearization of North Korea," he said.