Countries & Regions
Japan-U.S.-ROK Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
September 21, 2026
On September 21, commencing at 11:15 a.m. local time (0:15 a.m. on September 22, Japan time), for approximately 40 minutes, Mr. MOTEGI Toshimitsu, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, visiting New York, the United States of America, on the occasion of the United Nations General Assembly, held a Japan-U.S.-Republic of Korea (ROK) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting with the Honorable Marco Rubio, Secretary of State of the United States, and H.E. Cho Hyun, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the ROK.
- The three Ministers welcomed the holding of the Japan-U.S.-ROK Foreign Ministers’ Meeting following the two meetings in July of this year, and reaffirmed that the solidarity among Japan, the U.S. and the ROK is pivotal to regional peace and stability and that they would continue concrete cooperation among the three countries.
- Specifically, the three Ministers welcomed steady progress in cooperation of security, including joint exercises and cyber security, and of economic security and energy, including enhancing supply chain resilience and cooperation on small modular reactors (SMR), and concurred to advance cooperation on international disaster relief and capacity-building to combat transnational organized crime in Southeast Asia in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
- Regarding North Korea, the three Ministers reaffirmed that they would further strengthen coordination among the three countries, including the consistent support from the governments of the U.S. and the ROK regarding the immediate resolution of the abductions issue. They also reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea in accordance with the United Nations Security Council resolutions. In addition, they welcomed the issuance of the Alert regarding North Korean IT Workers, in which Japan took the lead together with the ally and like-minded countries, and concurred to collaborate continuously in addressing North Korea’s malicious cyber-related activities, which fund its nuclear and missile programs.
- The three Ministers exchanged their views on regional situations, including unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion, and affirmed that the three countries would work closely together. They also reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
- Based on today’s discussions, the three ministers released the Japan-U.S.-ROK Foreign Ministers’ Joint Statement.
(Reference)
・Japan-U.S.-ROK Foreign Ministers’ Joint Statement (PDF)
・FACT SHEET: Japan-U.S.-ROK Memorandum of Cooperation on Small Modular Reactor Deployments (PDF)
・FACT SHEET: Japan-U.S.-ROK Memorandum of Cooperation on Small Modular Reactor Deployments (PDF)