South Korean Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Jin Yeong-seung (far right) poses for a photo with US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine and Japanese Chief of Staff, Joint Staff Uchikura Hiroaki at the Tri-CHOD meeting held at the Pentagon on Wednesday (local time). [Joint Chiefs of Staff]
South Korean Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Jin Yeong-seung (far right) poses for a photo with US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine and Japanese Chief of Staff, Joint Staff Uchikura Hiroaki at the Tri-CHOD meeting held at the Pentagon on Wednesday (local time). [Joint Chiefs of Staff]

The chiefs of staff of South Korea, the United States and Japan gathered at the Pentagon and agreed to continue cooperating toward the complete denuclearization of North Korea in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions.

South Korean Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Jin Yeong-seung, US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine and Japanese Chief of Staff, Joint Staff Uchikura Hiroaki held the 23rd Tri-CHOD meeting in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday (local time), according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff. Also in attendance were Xavier Brunson, commander of US Forces Korea; Steven Jost, commander of US Forces Japan; and George Rowell, deputy commander of US Indo-Pacific Command.

The three military chiefs reaffirmed that trilateral security cooperation is essential for effectively responding to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats and various regional challenges. They agreed on the need to deepen cooperation across multiple domains and pledged to continue seeking ways to sustain the momentum of trilateral security cooperation, including through the annual Freedom Edge exercise. They also agreed to hold the 2027 Tri-CHOD meeting in Japan.

On the sidelines, Jin held separate bilateral talks with his US and Japanese counterparts.

The South Korean and US chiefs agreed to strengthen combined operational capabilities through joint exercises and high-level military exchanges, and to work closely together to ensure the alliance continues to serve as a cornerstone of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the region.

The South Korean and Japanese chiefs shared the view that North Korea's nuclear and missile threats represent a common challenge to security on the Korean Peninsula and across the region, and agreed to further strengthen close communication and intelligence sharing between the two countries.

They also agreed to advance exchange and cooperation between South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff and Japan's Joint Staff through high-level exchanges and working-level cooperation grounded in mutual trust.


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