Washington, DC - On November 2, Assistant Secretary Stilwell met with Republic of Korea Deputy Foreign Minister Yoon Soon-gu on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit. They pledged to maintain close coordination to ensure the final, fully verified denuclearization of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and reaffirmed the importance of U.S.-ROK-Japan trilateral cooperation.

As a reflection of the United States’ and the Republic of Korea’s prioritization of a forward-looking alliance, the two countries committed to cooperate across the United States’ Indo-Pacific Strategy and the Republic of Korea’s New Southern Policy. This cooperation is based on shared U.S.-ROK values and commitment to the principles of openness, inclusiveness, transparency, respect for international law, and ASEAN centrality.