S. KOREA-U.S.-JAPAN DISCUSSIONS

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The foreign ministers of South Korea, the US and Japan have held back-to-back talks in San Francisco. They discussed a coordinated stance on North Korea, which has warned of strong provocations, as well as the possible deployment of troops to the Strait of Hormuz as part of international security efforts.

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The top diplomats of Seoul and Washington sat down for talks in Palo Alto near San Francisco. During the 50 minute one-on-one, the two sides agreed to continue cooperation to bring North Korea back to the dialogue table, as the door for nuclear talks remains open. The US State Department also issued a statement saying that Secretary Pompeo and Foreign Minister Kang reaffirmed continued close coordination on North Korea, and praised the enduring strength of their alliance. They also reiterated their commitment to cooperation on Washington's Indo-Pacific Strategy and Seoul's New Southern Policy. Regarding the US pressure campaign on Iran, Secretary Pompeo was said to have expressed to Kang Washington's wish for Seoul's participation in the joint defense efforts in the Strait of Hormuz.

[Soundbite] MIKE POMPEO(U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE)

In response, Kang said Seoul will continue to review ways of contribution as protecting South Korean lives, property and businesses in the region is important. There is also speculation the US might link the two issues of troop dispatch and defense cost sharing talks, which are under way in Washington. After the bilateral meeting, a three-way foreign ministers' meeting including Japan took place with discussions on North Korea as well as improving Seoul-Tokyo relations. Kang also held seperate talks with her Japanese counterpart to discuss Tokyo's export curbs against Seoul and a Korean court ruling on the wartime forced labor issue. Amid a pile of pending issues between Seoul and Washington, including North Korea and defense costs, if the U.S. strongly requests South Korea send troops to the Strait of Hormuz, this will likely add to Seoul's predicament.