December 19, 2023
Today, the United States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea announce that they have fully activated a real-time DPRK missile warning data sharing mechanism and jointly established a multi-year trilateral exercise plan. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, Minister of Defense Kihara Minoru, and Minister of National Defense Shin Wonsik recently agreed to finalize the two initiatives by the end of 2023 at the United States-Japan-Republic of Korea Trilateral Ministerial Meeting in November. Following the historic 2023 Camp David Summit and the 2022 Phnom Penh Summit, today’s milestones will further advance a new era of trilateral security cooperation under the leadership of President Biden, Prime Minister Kishida, and President Yoon.
Following recent tests that verified the full operational capability of the DPRK missile warning data sharing mechanism, the mechanism is now active. The three countries established this mechanism to improve their ability to ensure the safety of their peoples by trilaterally detecting and assessing missiles launched by the DPRK in real-time.
Additionally, the three countries have established a multi-year trilateral exercise plan that will begin in early 2024. The three countries have made significant progress on improving the quality and quantity of their exercises over the past year, and this plan will regularize trilateral exercises and execute them more systematically and efficiently moving forward.
These achievements and other ongoing efforts demonstrate the unprecedented depth, scale, and scope of trilateral security cooperation by the United States, the Republic of Korea, and Japan. The three countries will continue to build upon their cooperation to respond to regional challenges and ensure peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, in the Indo-Pacific, and beyond.
United States-Japan-Republic of Korea Trilateral Ministerial Joint Press Statement（PDF）