TRILATERAL TALKS ON END-OF-WAR DECLARATION

[Anchor Lead]

Vice foreign ministers of Korea, the United States and Japan met in Washington to discuss an end-of-war declaration. Immediately after the meeting, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State said that the U.S. is satisfied with the tripartite consultation. But the scheduled joint press conference did not take place reportedly because of Japan's absence.

[Pkg]

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said that the U.S. is satisfied with the consultation of the three countries in relation to the end-of-war declaration. That was her answer when she was questioned about the meeting at the press conference held right after the U.S.-hosted discussion with Korean and Japanese foreign vice ministers.

[Soundbite] Wendy Sherman(U.S. Deputy Secretary of State)

Deputy Secretary Sherman said that the consultations were very constructive and more related talks will take place in the future. However, she didn’t reveal any details about the consultation on the end-of-war declaration or when it will be finalized. She also targeted China by saying that the three officials talked about respecting international regulations in the Indo-Pacific region such as the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. All three vice foreign ministers were supposed to show up for the press conference, but Deputy Secretary Sherman was the only one there. Korea's First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun said that Japan couldn't attend the press conference over the issue of National Police Agency Commissioner Kim Chang-ryong's recent visit to the Dokdo Islets.

[Soundbite] Wendy Sherman(U.S. Deputy Secretary of State)

Although the U.S. State Department called the tripartite meeting constructive, the failed joint press conference clearly demonstrated that differing historical awareness between Korea and Japan is hard to overcome.