North Korean Missile Tests Force ROK and Japan to get Closer

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North Korea’s military tests force two rival countries, the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Japan, to get closer. Historically ROK and Japan have an unresolved dispute over Korean slavery and wartime sex slavery during the Second World War. Two countries have agreed on the issue, but the issue continues to poison bilateral relations.

Following North Korean missile tests, ROK and Japan condemned the country in January. ROK National Security Council held an emergency meeting and expressed “strong regret” that the missile test came when regional stability was extremely important. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in response, “North Korea continues to launch missiles is extremely regrettable.”

North Korean Missile Tests Force ROK and Japan to get Closer

North Korea test-fired missiles seven times last month.

The US State Department has announced that the top diplomats of Japan, the United States and ROK will hold talks in Hawaii to discuss threats from North Korea. The US will host Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa and ROK Foreign Minister Chung Eui-Yong in Honolulu, Hawaii, on February 12.

North Korean Missile Tests Force ROK and Japan to get Closer

The three Foreign Ministers will meet to strengthen trilateral cooperation in addressing threats from Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programs and confronting global challenges.

and missile programmes, as well as global concerns.