This was said after US President Donald Trump raised doubts in the Pacific region by reducing the scale of joint military exercises with Seoul.
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While visiting Australia, Shinjiro Koizumi firmly supported joint security cooperation with the key defense ally Washington and neighboring Seoul.
“As Japan faces the most complex and dangerous security situation in the post-war period, cooperation between Japan, the US, and South Korea is essential for peace and stability in the region,” Koizumi told reporters.
The Japan-Australia meeting in Canberra took place a few hours after Trump praised his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and criticized South Korea for insufficient support to Washington in the fight against Iran.
Asked about Trump’s comments, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said his country is “very concerned about North Korea’s nuclear program and its missile program, and we consistently maintain this position.”
“I think in the complex world we face (…) there are many challenges, but North Korea is the initiator of many of them,” he added.
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