Korea, US, Japan confirm three-way alliance

President Park Geun-hye, left, U.S. President Barack Obama, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pose before a meeting on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit in The Hague, the Netherlands, Tuesday. / Yonhap

By Kim Tae-gyu

THE HAGUE ― President Park Geun-hye held a meeting with United States President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Tuesday, (local time) to confirm their three-way alliance against threats from North Korea.

They agreed that the North should give up its nuclear ambitions so that Northeast Asia can establish peace and stability.

“The three leaders delved into initiatives on North Korea and its nuclear programs because the country has refused to abandon its drive to develop nuclear weapons,” a Cheong Wa Dae official said.

“They decided to put forth concerted efforts to discourage Pyongyang from seeking its ill-fated dream.”

However, the three didn’t discuss the history issues ― Abe has made nationalist remarks and acts indicative of his lack of contrition for Japan’s imperial-era misdeeds.

The confrontation between Seoul and Tokyo culminated late last year when Abe, an ultra-rightist politician, paid a visit to the Yasukuni Shrine that houses the remains of 14 Class-A war criminals.

Against this backdrop, Park refused to meet with Abe in spite of the latter’s repeated requests for a summit. However, Park agreed to hold the trilateral summit on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit, with the United States playing the key mediator role in bringing them together.

“The three-way meeting was not about historic topics. It’s about cooperation of long-time allies as we announced earlier,” the official said.

Park’s senior secretary for foreign affairs and security Ju Chul-ki said last week just before Park’s week-long foreign trip to the Netherlands and Germany that her meeting with Obama and Abe will focus on North Korea policies.

Against this backdrop, many observers pointed out that it remains to be seen if Seoul and Tokyo will be able to improve their bilateral relations on the occasion of the meeting.

“Few seem to believe that the one-off three-way gathering will address diplomatic ties between Seoul and Tokyo, which reached their lowest ebb,” said an analyst at a Seoul university who asked not to be named.

“What is really significant is the actions of Abe. If he goes to the Yasukuni Shrine once again, I believe that the trilateral meeting will be the last one between the Park and Abe as heads of state.”

voc200@ktimes.co.kr