S. Korea, US, Japan hold 1st 3-way high-level diplomatic talks since Lee gov't launch

South Korea, the United States, and Japan held trilateral ministerial talks at a multilateral gathering in Malaysia on July 11 to discuss coordination on key shared regional and global issues, Seoul officials said, Report informs via Yonhap.

First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo joined US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya for the talks on the margins of the foreign ministers' meetings hosted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

It marked the first high-level talks among the senior diplomats of the three countries since the launch of the Lee Jae Myung government in early June. Park is attending the forum on behalf of the foreign minister, as the appointment process is still in progress.

The talks lasted for about 40 minutes.

Holding such talks with South Korea represented by the vice minister reflects the importance the three countries place on their trilateral partnership that was elevated to new heights under their previous governments.

At the talks, the three sides reaffirmed commitment to coordinating on key shared issues, including the denuclearization of North Korea and efforts to deter its nuclear threats, a source said.

They also discussed North Korea's growing cyberthreats and sanctions-evading activities, while reaffirming calls for Pyongyang to return to dialogue.