Yi Whan-woo is a Korea Times journalist primarily covering finance. He writes in-depth articles on macroeconomy and financial markets and previously covered sports, politics, diplomacy and inter-Korean affairs, among others. Feel free to contact him at yistory@koreatimes.co.kr.
Seoul, Washington, Tokyo to hold security meeting next week
By Yi Whan-woo
Korea and Japan are expected to hold a trilateral security meeting with the United States next week although Tokyo’s recent territorial claims over Dokdo have worsened ties between the two neighbors.
According to a diplomatic source Wednesday, the three countries are discussing the date for the vice foreign ministerial-level meeting set to take place in Washington D.C.
The source said First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yong, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Tony Blinken and Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Akitaka Saiki are expected to share their thoughts on issues related to North Korea’s nuclear program and regional security in Northeast Asia.
The three-way meeting will take place after Japan’s repeated territorial claims over South Korea’s easternmost islets of Dokdo have aggravated their already frayed relations.
In addition, deputy defense minister-level officials of the three countries are scheduled to hold their annual Defense Trilateral Talks in the U.S. capital to enhance their cooperation on missile defense and other military affairs, the diplomatic sources said.
Employing a two-track strategy on national security and history-related issues, Korea has dealt with those issues separately in diplomatic relations with Japan.
On Tuesday, Tokyo’s foreign ministry issued a 2015 Diplomatic Bluebook that states Dokdo, which Japan calls Takeshima, was its territory historically and under international law.
The conservative Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Cabinet released the document after its education ministry irked Seoul Monday with a review of 18 middle school textbooks.
All 18 textbooks, which will be used in school classes from July at the earliest, contain Tokyo’s argument that it has sovereignty over Dokdo and Korea has taken control over the islets illegally.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Japanese Ambassador to Seoul Koro Bessho, Monday, and his deputy Kenji Kanasugi, Tuesday to protest Tokyo’s provocative moves.
The Abe administration declined to accept the protest.
Korea and Japan have failed to narrow gaps for decades in their territorial dispute over Dokdo, and Tokyo’s sexual enslavement of Asian women, mostly Koreans, during World War II.