SEOUL: US President Joe Biden and his South Korean counterpart, Yoon Suk-yeol, meeting in Seoul on Saturday, underlined the importance of trilateral cooperation among their countries plus Japan in dealing with North Korea’s accelerated nuclear and missile development and other areas.

According to a joint statement issued after the meeting, Biden and Yoon discussed ways to realize the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and expand joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea.

Biden affirmed the United States’ commitment to providing extended deterrence backed by the US nuclear umbrella to South Korea.

Biden and Yoon affirmed the importance of Japan-US-South Korea cooperation “for responding to the DPRK’s challenges, protecting shared security and prosperity, upholding common values and bolstering the rules-based international order,” the statement said. The DPRK is the acronym for North Korea’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Holding a joint press conference with Yoon, Biden said that it is critically important for the United States to have a close trilateral relationship with South Korea and Japan, both economically and militarily.

Biden also welcomed that Yoon has shown his interest in joining the Quad framework, a grouping of the United States, Japan, Australia and India.

Biden is visiting South Korea on his first trip to Asia since taking office. He will move to Japan on Sunday and hold talks with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Monday.

JIJI Press