Lima Convention Center
Lima, Peru
MODERATOR: We’ll do this on background, attributed to a senior administration official. Just a couple minutes to read out the trilat meeting.
Do you want to kick us off and provide —
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Sure. Maybe just a few comments.
Just finished the trilateral leaders-level meeting between President Biden, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, and the Japanese Prime Minister, Ishiba Shigeru. The meeting lasted probably just over 40 minutes, simultaneous interpretation. So they covered a lot of ground.
I was struck by the fact that every leader commented on how extraordinary this — and how extraordinarily important this trilateral cooperation has become. They all noted that since Camp David, there’s been an incredible acceleration in our work together, and also the areas in which we’re working has really broadened significantly, from security to economics to economic security, technology, really across the board.
They did do a tour d’horizon of sorts across the region and across the world. They talked about the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea and across the Taiwan Strait. They talked about how closely we’re working, all three of us, in Southeast Asia and in the Pacific Islands.
But the issue that they probably discussed most in depth was the growing threat posed by the DPRK, both the DPRK’s growing missile and nuclear capabilities and also, of course, the really escalatory and destabilizing nature of Russia-DPRK cooperation, particularly, of course, the deployment of North Korean troops into the Kursk region.
So those were the issues that were covered. And, again, the one that was addressed most in depth was the DPRK-Russia issue.
And with that, I’m happy to take your questions.
Q Sure. The one person you didn’t mention was Donald Trump. Did his name come up in any of the discussions? Did the Asian leaders express any concern or seek any insight (inaudible)?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: No. As a matter of fact, the President-elect’s name did not come up. I think you saw in the pool spray the President did note we’re in a time of transition. He noted, of course, we have a newly elected Japanese Prime Minister, Ishiba. You know, we’ll have a transition in the United States.
But the focus of the conversation was entirely on, I’d say, two things. It was the here and now of the challenges and the common interests that we share, and then the recognition that both our shared interests and the shared challenges are enduring. And that was the nature of the conversation.
Q Did they talk about consequences for the DPRK, for the Russian (inaudible)?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Well, the way I would term it is all three leaders said we need to continue to follow very closely these concerning developments, and, most importantly, we need to coordinate more closely than ever before on how we’re going to respond. And of course, our teams are talking every day about the best ways to do that.
Q So, did any of the leaders talk about the future of burden sharing under the new administration? I understand that South Korea and the U.S. have just signed sort of like a new agreement that will hold for a few years ahead, which is an increase of the previous agreement on burden sharing. Did they talk about that?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Yeah, the Special Measures Agreement issue, you — I think you’ve described accurately. That was not discussed today. Again, what we discussed today: Every leader noted how incredibly important this trilateral cooperation has been and will continue to be going forward. And then we talked about all the different areas in which we’re currently cooperating.
Q Was the sense on the growing DPRK-Russia relationship that there is something that can be done to sort of break this up? Or are you all looking at this as a threat going forward that might intensify? I guess, whatever you’re doing, is that going to —
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Well, I think, one, there’s an increasing recognition that, more than ever before, security matters between Europe and Asia are indivisible and more interlinked than they’ve ever been before.
But we talked about a number of steps, both diplomatic in terms of our respective military postures and sanctions measures and the like. All of those things, I think, are options before us, and we’ll have to consider, I think collaboratively, how best to engage going forward.
But there was tremendous convergence on just how destabilizing this growing nexus between Moscow and Pyongyang is for the region.
And, look, I think there was also a recognition that China has a role to play here as well. And I think there’s a sense that one would think it should not be in Beijing’s interest to have this kind of destabilizing cooperation take place in the region as well.
Q There was no discussion of Trump in terms of his relationship with Kim and how that has sort of changed during his years and then into the Biden administration?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: None whatsoever.
Q Do you think it’s hard to have these conversations in a meaningful way without acknowledging this change in administration that’s going to be coming up?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: What we’re focused on is the here and now. And I know that, of course, as I said at the top, even in front of the press, there was a recognition that we’re in a period of transition. But as we often say, there’s one president at a time, and the focus of this meeting was what are we going to do together, especially over the next couple of months, to deter particularly these growing threats that I’ve
addressed.
Q I know there was a pull-aside with the Japanese Prime Minister. Did Nippon Steel come up? Was that a discussion today?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: I don’t know. I wasn’t there, so I do not know.
Q It didn’t come up in the trilat, I assume?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: No, it did not.
Q What is the current understanding of how the North Korean troops are being used? How many are actually in the fight versus, you now, sort of —
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: I don’t have anything new to report to that. I think you’ve seen Admiral Kirby and others have spoken extensively from the podium.
But as we’ve talked about, the 10,000-plus North Korean troops that are in Russia, we believe are now all or predominantly in the Kursk region. We presume they have gone there to engage in combat, but I don’t have anything beyond those top lines that you’ve seen already.
Q Is there anything new in terms of missile warning systems, the trilateral part? Or is that just a continuation of what has already been set up?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Well, I think you’ll see the three of us will have a statement coming out soon, and we’ll speak to — perhaps it’s already out. You’ll see there’s an agreement to continue to share in real time missile data. I think that’s really important.
And even though I’ve emphasized just how broad and deep our cooperation is, I think there was a recognition among the three leaders that, in particular, our security cooperation has probably increased most dramatically, and that’s probably most impactful and most needed at this time, given the growing threats that we talked about.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: And the strong recognition by the three leaders that that cooperation, on real-time sharing, needs to be enhanced further in order to respond to these growing threats.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: And, look, maybe just reinforcing that, as well, the trilateral military exercise, Freedom Edge, has either — has wrapped or is just wrapping up.
Again, I think this is, really, a tangible manifestation of what we’re doing together in real time.
Q But can I ask just on the missile warning system: On the increase of that, I think Jake mentioned yesterday that, in particular, a period of transition is a time where the DPRK might try to act provocatively. So is there urgency during this transition period to make this statement?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: What we’re doing is we’re following President Biden’s direction. We’re going to have the most orderly, peaceful, and effective transition possible, and we’re going to do so in a way that ensures that we do everything to ensure America’s security and prosperity.
And I have to say it would be very unwise for any of our adversaries to think that this is a period of time in which they could try to seek advantage. That would be a great miscalculation.
MODERATOR: All right, I think we got to wrap here.
Q Do you see alignment with the two countries on potential actions you would take in response to the DPRK’s troop deployment?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: I think — well, look, again, we agree that we’re going to follow — continue following these developments closely, continue our intensive conversations about how to go forward.
But the word that I would use to describe the conversation would be “convergence.” Tremendous convergence in our views, our outlook, and our determination to respond collectively to these challenges. And as for how we’ll do that in detail, I think you’ll see more about that in the coming days and weeks.
