Joint Press Statement by The United States, Japan, and The Republic Of Korea Trilateral Coordination and Oversight Group (TCOG) Meeting in San Francisco, November 27, 2001

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The delegations of Japan, the Republic of Korea (ROK) and the United States of America, headed respectively by Director-General of Asian and Oceanian Affairs Hitoshi Tanaka, Deputy Foreign Minister Ambassador Yim Sung-joon, and Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs James A. Kelly, held this year's fourth Japan-U.S.-ROK Trilateral Coordination and Oversight Group (TCOG) meeting in San Francisco on November 27.

The three delegations reviewed the situation on the Korean Peninsula and the status of their bilateral relations with North Korea. They reviewed the changed global environment following the September 11 terrorist attacks, North Korea’s reactions to those attacks, and the ongoing efforts of the international coalition to fight terrorism. They took positive note of North Korea's signing of two UN Terrorism Conventions and encouraged the DPRK to take further steps to confirm its cooperation with international anti-terrorism initiatives and opposition to international terrorism. They discussed the recently concluded sixth Ministerial talks between North and South Korea and shared the view that enhanced inter-Korean dialogue was central to efforts to reduce tension and increase stability on the Korean Peninsula. They reiterated their commitment to steady implementation of the 1994 Agreed Framework and called on North Korea to take steps to address the concerns of the international community.

The three delegations agreed on the importance of continued close consultations and coordination among the three countries in pursuing their respective policies towards North Korea, which include humanitarian affairs.

The ROK delegation briefed their counterparts on the current situation of inter-Korean dialogue, following its recent ministerial with the DPRK November 9-14. The ROK also reconfirmed its position on implementing the commitments made between the ROK and the DPRK at an early date. In this regard, both the U.S. and the Japanese delegations reiterated their continued support for President Kim Dae-jung’s policy of engagement with North Korea and Inter-Korean dialogue.

The U.S. delegation expressed thanks for South Korean and Japanese contributions to the international effort to end terrorism. It reaffirmed that the U.S. was prepared to undertake serious discussions with North Korea without preconditions and reiterated its willingness to meet anytime, any place.

The Japanese delegation explained the current status of Japan-North Korea relations and expressed that it would continue to make steady efforts toward Japan-North Korea normalization talks so that such normalization may contribute to the peace and stability of Northeast Asia.

The three delegations agreed to hold another round of trilateral consultations in the near future to further coordinate their respective policies toward North Korea.