U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said Tuesday that the United States will use all of its military resources, “including nuclear, conventional, and missile defence,” to defend its allies Japan and South Korea. She also issued a warning to North Korea to refrain from intensifying its provocations. Sherman said that North Korea’s recent provocative military measures included firing artillery and ballistic missiles repeatedly. They are being used as drills for the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons, according to North Korea.
In conversations with South Korea’s first vice foreign minister Cho Hyungdong in Tokyo, Sherman stated, “This is deeply irresponsible, dangerous, and destabilizing,” The two representatives got together before their Wednesday three-way meeting with their Japanese colleague.
The three officials will be meeting for the second time in person since conservative South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol assumed office in May, which might indicate an easing in the tense relations between Japan and South Korea. After three-way meetings in Washington a year ago, the vice ministers from Japan and South Korea declined to take part in a joint press conference, leaving Sherman to address the media on his own.
North Korea has to realise that the United States is “ironcladly committed” to ensuring the security of South Korea and Japan, according to Sherman. Including nuclear, conventional, and missile defence capabilities, she added, “we will utilise the entire spectrum of U.S. defence capabilities to defend our friends.”
Cho expressed worry to Sherman during their conversations that a new nuclear weapons doctrine implemented by North Korea in September raises the likelihood of its arbitrary use of nuclear weapons. On the Korean Peninsula, this is causing significant stress, according to Cho.
Takeo Mori, the vice foreign minister of Japan, and Sherman discussed a number of common objectives, including the total denuclearization of North Korea and how to respond to China’s increasingly assertive moves in the area. Sherman met with Mori earlier on Tuesday.
Yasukazu Hamada, the defence minister of Japan, has stated that North Korea is thought to have succeeded in reducing the size of nuclear warheads while enhancing its missile capabilities greatly by varying its launch methodologies, making interceptions more challenging.
Additionally, North Korea may soon conduct a nuclear test, according to Japanese sources.
Officials from Japan and South Korea got together later on Tuesday to talk about ways to mend their strained relations, which were brought on by disagreements over Japanese wartime actions that included abusing Korean forced labourers and forcing young girls and women to work in brothels for Japanese soldiers.
