Top diplomats from South Korea, the United States, and Japan reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening deterrence against North Korea’s growing nuclear threats during high-level trilateral talks held in Tokyo on Friday.

The dialogue marked the first vice foreign ministerial meeting since the Lee Jae Myung administration in South Korea and the second Donald Trump presidency in the U.S. Participating officials included South Korea’s First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, and Japan’s Vice Foreign Minister Takehiro Funakoshi.

According to South Korea’s Foreign Ministry, the three officials emphasized the importance of maintaining “strong deterrence” through continued trilateral security cooperation. They also pledged to enhance collaboration based on existing bilateral alliances and make coordinated progress on North Korea-related issues.

Park briefed his counterparts on Seoul’s diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula and resume dialogue. The talks also referenced a prior meeting between the three nations’ top diplomats on the sidelines of ASEAN summits in Malaysia last week.

The discussions extended beyond security to include shared goals in economic security and emerging technologies. The countries agreed to deepen practical cooperation in critical minerals, supply chains, and artificial intelligence—areas where their citizens can experience direct benefits.

They also acknowledged recent progress in institutionalizing trilateral cooperation, including the establishment of a trilateral secretariat and the commitment to regular dialogue.

In a separate bilateral meeting with Japan’s Funakoshi, Park emphasized South Korea’s intention to foster a “firm and mature” relationship with Japan based on mutual respect and trust. Both sides agreed on the importance of closer coordination in tackling shared regional and global challenges.