Text Fwd: S.Korea, U.S. and Japan convene tripartite talks 남한, 미국, 일본, 3각 대화 소집

* Image source: same as the link

'From left, Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara, U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, and South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan convene a press conference following the conclusion of tripartite talks, Dec. 6 (local time). (AFP Yonhap)'

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Related activist photos

Thursday, December 9, 2010
Photos Fwd: Denunciation on the talks between the ROK-US joint chiefs of staff_Stop the talks on the abuse of illegal self-defense right!
한미 합참의장 협의회' 규탄_불법적 자위권 남용 대화 중단하라!

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See the reference materials

[범민련 원문 자료실]에 서 최근 한미 합참의장 협의회 공동 성명 (클릭), 한미일 삼자 외교 장관 회의 공동 성명(클릭)등을 보실 수 있읍니다.

U. S. Dept of State: Trilateral Statement Japan, Republic of Korea, and the United States
Dec. 6, 2010

U.S. Depart. of State: Remarks with Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara and South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan Dec. 6, 2010

Ministry of National Defense, ROK: Recent News No. 682: ROK-US CJCS Joint Press Statement
2010-12-08

Ministry of National Defense, ROK: Recent New NO. 681
Address to the Nation by President Lee Myung-bak on the Shelling of Yeonpyeongdo by North Korea
2010-12-08
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Hankyoreh
S.Korea, U.S. and Japan convene tripartite talks
: During a tripartite meeting, S.Korea and Japan showed more support for a U.S. presence into Northeast Asia affairs
By Kwon Tae-ho, Washington Correstpondent
Posted on : Dec.8,2010

A key Cheong Wa Dae (the presidential office in South Korea or Blue House) official reported Tuesday that South Korea and the United States have agreed to bomb North Korea using aircraft if North Korea launches additional provocations.

“The two countries agreed to the plan of action after the Yeonpyeong Island artillery attack by North Korea, and that the United States agreed that South Korea should strongly respond to additional provocations in self-defense,” said the official. “This means that when South Korea is attacked, it would actively respond relying not only on weapons in the area, but also mobilizing air power.”

During a meeting of the South Korean, U.S. and Japanese foreign ministers in Washington on Sunday, the U.S. and Japanese foreign ministers reportedly did not raise objections to South Korea’s plan to strongly respond militarily should North Korea commit additional provocations.

A high-ranking South Korean government official met with South Korean correspondents in Washington on Sunday and said, “South Korea has the right to respond in this manner, since it constitutes a response to a North Korean attack rather than a preemptive strike.”

During the tripartite meeting, there even appeared agenda items that seemed to resuscitate the so-called “three way southern alliance” of South Korea, the United States and Japan. In a joint statement, the three foreign ministers said Seoul, Washington and Tokyo had pledged to strengthen their efforts regarding the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the East Asia Summit (EAS), and in particular, South Korea and Japan welcomed formal U.S. participation in the ARF starting in 2011.

Requesting anonymity, one diplomatic source said, “The EAS has recently become the multilateral body shown the most concern by Washington, which seeks to intervene politically and militarily in Asia.”

The EAS was launched in 2005 with the intention of checking growing Chinese influence on ASEAN. Participating in the meeting, besides ASEAN state, are Australia, New Zealand, India and other nations trying to check the rise of China. If the United States becomes a formal member next year, it will secure a means to speak against China regarding politics and security in East Asia. It appears South Korea and Japan will become active allies in this.

On Tuesday, Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin told a meeting of major commanders that subordinate commanders will be able to exercise self-defense during provocations and strongly respond until the basis of the enemy threat is eliminated, handing down command guidelines that allows commanders to take measures first, with reports to superiors coming afterwards. Defense Ministry policy director Jang Gwang-il said since the shelling of Yeonpyeong-do, both South Korea and the United States have agreed on the new command guidelines, and that regarding amending the rules of engagement, the Joint Chiefs of Staff would hold working-level meetings with Combined Forces Command and UN Command to consider whether to broadly change the rules of engagement or change just parts of them.

In Yongsan on Wednesday, the South Korean and U.S. chairmen of their respective Joint Chiefs of Staff will meet to discuss a plan to simplify the measures Korea needs to take to gain the approval of both the South Korean chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the head of U.N. Command for responding with aircraft to North Korean provocations.

A government official said maritime fire drills on the Five West Sea Islands, suspended since the Yeonpyeong Island shelling on Nov. 23, would restart next week.

Meanwhile, President Lee Myung-bak said at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday that he would push for the gradual fortification of the Five West Sea Islands, and instructed government ministries to also create conditions, including jobs, that would allow local residents to continue to reside on the islands. Revealed as a plan of consideration by the military after the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island, the fortification of the islands means equipping the islands with underground facilities and air-raid shelters that would allow residents to safely live on the islands, Cheong Wa Dae explained. Authorities reportedly had an eye on Taiwan’s Kinmen Islands, which geopolitically share a similar environment to the Five West Sea Islands.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr

* This text was also thankfully distributed by Bruce Gagnon on Nov. 8, 2010 and Steve Zeltzer on Nov. 9, 2010
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Dec. 9, 2010
Kyunghyang ilbo
U.S. Soldiers Can Be Mobilized To Crush North Korea's Future Local Provocations, South Korea-U.S. Agreed 미국 군인들은 북한의 미래 지역 도발을 위해 동원될 수 있다고 남한과 미국 동의

December 8, 2010
Stop NATO
U.S. Military Chief Calls For U.S.-S. Korea-Japan Military Triad
Voice of America News 미국 합참 대장 한미일 삼각 군사 동맹을 부름

Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Text Fwd: U.S.'s Top Military Commander To Visit South Korea
미국 최고 군사 사령관 멀렌, 남한 방문 (12월 7일)

Monday, December 6, 2010
Text Fwd: S.Korea to hold artillery exercises at 29 coastal locations
남한, 29 해안 지역에서 포격 연습 실시할 것임

Sunday, December 5, 2010
Text Fwd: Defense minister-designate voices support for self-defense air raids
국방 장관 내정자, 북한에 대해 자위 방어 공습 지지

Kyunghyang
Plan to Reinforce Military Power in the Five West Sea Islands Is Heavily Flawed
서해 5도 군사 전력 강화 계획은 심각하게 잘못되어 있음
Dec. 1, 2010
(* Thanks to M.S. Japan on Dec. 8, 2010)