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Seoul, Washington, Tokyo Issue Joint Statement on Policy Toward DPRK
Delegations from South Korea, the United States and Japan Monday reiterated the importance of continued close consultation and coordination of their policy toward the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
At the "ROK-U.S.-Japan Trilateral Coordination and Oversight Group (TCOG) " meeting held here Monday, the delegations from the three countries reviewed the situation on the Korean Peninsula and the status of their bilateral relations with the DPRK.
In a joint press statement issued following the first TCOG meeting after the inauguration of U.S. President George W. Bush's administration in January, the three parties said they welcomed the results of the U.S.-ROK summit meeting of March 7 and U.S.- Japan summit meeting of March 19, where the three leaders expressed their strong continued support for the Republic of Korea 's policy of engagement with the DPRK and President Kim Dae-jung's leading role in resolving inter-Korean issues."
The South Korean delegation members briefed their counterparts on scheduled upcoming contacts with the DPRK, including DPRK leader Kim Jong-il's return visit to Seoul, the statement said.
"The U.S. and Japanese delegations voiced hope that a second inter-Korean summit would contribute to the expansion of North- South cooperation and exchanges and lead to substantial reduction of tensions on the Korean Peninsula," it said.
At the meeting, the Japanese delegation expressed its readiness to continue normalization talks with the North and the policy of engagement toward DPRK.
The nature of future U.S. dialogue with the DPRK will be determined through the U.S. policy review process, the statement said.
The three delegations also expressed the hope that the DPRK would take positive steps to create a favorable environment for continued engagement and to address the concerns of the international community including the issues of missiles and weapons for mass destruction.
They reaffirmed their commitment to continuing the 1994 Agreed Framework, calling on the DPRK to join them in taking the steps necessary for its successful implementation.
They also agreed to hold the next round of the TCOG meeting in May this year, or earlier if necessary, to further coordinate their respective DPRK policies.
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