US stresses cooperation amid escalating S. Korea-Japan trade row

A US State Department spokesperson told Yonhap news agency late-Monday, “the United States is committed to strengthening further our trilateral cooperation with Japan and the Republic of Korea. We remain unified in pressuring North Korea to denuclearize."

Additional Comments:

"As an ally and friend to both Japan and the Republic of Korea, the United States believes that it is critical to ensure strong and close relationships between and among our three countries in the face of shared regional challenges, including those posed by the DPRK, as well as our other priorities in the Indo-Pacific and around the world."

"The United States always pursues ways to strengthen relations between and among our three countries, both publicly and behind the scenes."