Park Ji-won is a writer for The Korea Times who has been covering a wide range of topics from Korea’s culture to its politics. An avid journalism enthusiast to the core, Ji-won brings a thoughtful and unique perspective to every topic she covers. On weekends, you'll often find her contemplating life’s purpose on a yoga mat — with a cup of quality tea in hand. A native Korean speaker by birth and fluent in English through her work, she went to college in Japan and is learning Chinese and French — hoping to add Polish, Russian and Thai to the mix.
S. Korea, US, Japan FMs reaffirm denuclearization of Korean Peninsula in Philippines
From left, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi pose at the Philippine International Convention Center in Manila, Wednesday. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum. Yonhap
By Park Ji-won
Pyongyang skips ASEAN Regional Forum for 2nd straight year
The foreign ministers of South Korea, the United States and Japan met in Manila, Wednesday, reaffirmed the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and deterrence against North Korea, during a meeting held on the sidelines of a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-related ministerial meetings. Discussions covered the Korean Peninsula, the Middle East, small modular reactors (SMRs) and cybercrime cooperation.
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi convened on the margins of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the East Asia Summit foreign ministers' meeting and related gatherings in the Philippine capital.
"The three ministers shared assessments of recent developments on the Korean Peninsula, reaffirming their commitment to the principle of denuclearization and their intent to maintain a robust deterrence against North Korea," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
"They agreed to maintain close policy coordination on North Korea and to continue communication and cooperation to preserve peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and diplomacy."
The Manila talks followed the three ministers' July 7 meeting on the sidelines of the NATO summit, where they discussed denuclearization of North Korea and signed a memorandum of cooperation establishing a framework to accelerate small modular reactor deployment across the region. The deal is expected to strengthen trilateral energy cooperation and potentially challenge the dominance currently held by Russia and China in the global nuclear energy market.
The trilateral meeting came amid deepening alignment among Pyongyang, Beijing and Moscow. North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui recently visited Moscow, where she pledged to expand cooperation between North Korea and Russia. Pyongyang has also reinforced its strategic ties with Beijing, marking the 65th anniversary of North Korea-China relations through expanded economic and geopolitical cooperation.
Attention had been focused on whether North Korea would attend the ARF, the only regional security forum Pyongyang has ever joined. However, North Korea skipped the event for the second consecutive year as it continues to prioritize bilateral diplomacy with Russia and China. Since joining the ARF in 2000, Pyongyang has routinely used the multilateral platform to engage with regional powers.
South Korea's Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, sixth from left, poses with ASEAN foreign ministers and delegates during a group photo at the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference with South Korea on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines, Wednesday. EPA-Yonhap
Beyond the Korean Peninsula, the ministers discussed the situation in the Middle East amid ongoing instability around the Strait of Hormuz, and exchanged views on the need to strengthen communication and policy coordination among the three countries in the face of growing international uncertainties.
On the economic and security cooperation front, the ministers agreed to deepen practical cooperation in nuclear energy, critical minerals and emerging technologies, leveraging their collective strengths.
"Cooperation among trusted allies is more critical than ever amid ongoing global economic volatility," the +press release said. The three sides specifically agreed to expand cooperation in protecting advanced technology, diversifying and building resilient supply chains, addressing economic coercion and advancing Arctic security, with follow-up discussions planned.
The ministers also evaluated the broadening scope of trilateral cooperation into areas such as countering cross-border crime, disaster relief and humanitarian assistance, agreeing to actively pursue consultations to produce concrete and tangible outcomes. Regarding cooperation with ASEAN , they exchanged views on expanding trilateral engagement across the region, while also advancing SMR cooperation under the memorandum signed at the NATO summit earlier this month.
South Korea Foreign Minister Cho Hyun speaks during the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference with South Korea on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Pasay city, Metro Manila, Philippines Wednesday. AP-Yonhap
Meanwhile, Cho said that South Korea will work closely with ASEAN member states to further develop the ROK-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) Vision, which was signed in November 2025 during the South Korea-ASEAN summit in Malaysia.
Speaking at the ROK-ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Manila, Philippines, Cho said “The CSP Vision charts a shared path toward a more future-oriented and substantive ASEAN-ROK partnership … Korea will work closely with ASEAN member states and ASEAN Secretariat to further refine and implement the CSP Vision together,” adding that ASEAN is Korea’s one of trusted partners.
The Vision aims to position South Korea as a "contributor" to support youth in Southeast Asia, a "springboard" for growth and innovation, and a "partner for peace and stability."
Stressing the shifting security and economic environment due to the disruptions to global supply chains and instability in the Middle East, he said “rapid technological transformation is creating new opportunities.”
The foreign ministry said in a statement, "ASEAN member states reaffirmed their support for South Korea's Korean Peninsula policy, sharing the view that peace and stability on the peninsula are essential to regional peace and security."