U.S. President Joe Biden on Sunday criticized North Korea for its «provocative» actions, referring to the numerous ballistic missile tests launched into the Sea of Japan, and stressed the importance of Washington’s alliance with South Korea and Japan to confront Pyongyang.
«Japan and the Republic of Korea are critically important allies for the United States,» Biden said after meeting in Nom Pen (Cambodia) with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in a trilateral meeting.
For Biden, when North Korea continues to engage in «provocative» behavior, «this partnership is more important than ever,» he stressed, according to US press reports.
Yoon, for his part, pointed out that recent events related to North Korea «make necessary the highest level of trilateral cooperation» and recalled that Pyongyang has launched fifty missiles since May and has increased its activities in October.
«North Korea continues its provocations at a time when South Koreans mourn with sadness,» he lamented in reference to the more than 150 people killed during a Halloween party in Seoul. Both Biden and Kishida have conveyed their condolences to Yoon for the incident.
Kishida, meanwhile, warned that «there will be more» news from North Korea and that is why it is «extremely appropriate» to hold this trilateral meeting.
Biden also referred to the issues discussed at the meeting, such as the «stability of the supply chain» and «how to preserve peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait» in a veiled reference to the importance of microchips manufactured in the territory.
In addition, the three leaders discussed «how we can expand our coordinated support for Ukraine» and how to work toward a «common goal of a free and open Indo-Pacific.» «Our countries are more aligned than ever,» Biden reiterated.
The trilateral meeting was held on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit taking place these days in the Asian capital.
