South Korea, the United States and Japan are expected to reiterate their strong stance against North Korea, as the top diplomats of the three nations are likely to meet on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) foreign ministers’ meeting in Rio de Janeiro this week.

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul is likely to hold separate bilateral talks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa. It will be Cho’s first face-to-face talks since taking office last month.

The talks, if they materialize, will come on the heels of a flurry of recent diplomatic and geopolitical events — the establishment of diplomatic ties between Seoul and Havana, North Korea’s statement last week about the possibility of mending ties with Japan and Pyongyang’s possible provocation in protest of planned South Korea-U.S. military drills.

Last week, Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said North Korea and Japan can open up a “new future” together if Tokyo
makes a political decision to pave a new path for mending relations through “courteous behavior and trustworthy action.”

Seoul is said to believe Pyongyang’s sudden change in tone against Tokyo could be designed to try to create fissures in Seoul-Tokyo relations, especially after the establishment of diplomatic relations between Seoul and Havana, which has maintained decadeslong close brotherly ties with Pyongyang.

South Korea’s government also is said to feel the need to cement unity among the three countries, especially in the run up to the large-scale, joint exercises next month, which could lead to North Korea’s provocations.

The G20 foreign ministers’ meeting will take place in the Brazilian city from Wednesday to Thursday to discuss a range of issues like the G20’s role amid geopolitical challenges and global governance

Source: Yonhap News Agency