U.S. and Japan reaffirm pledge for full denuclearisation of North Korea at Tokyo talks

During the second U.S.-Japan Free and Open Indo-Pacific Dialogue in Tokyo, senior officials from Washington and Tokyo reaffirmed their resolve to achieve the complete denuclearisation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Allison Hooker, the U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, and Hiroyuki Namazu, Japan’s Senior Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, issued the statement, noting advances in defence industrial collaboration between the two allies.

They also called for an immediate settlement of the long-standing abductions dispute with North Korea. The talks covered expanding security cooperation with regional partners, welcoming Japan’s deeper engagement with NATO, and addressing economic security issues, including critical minerals, energy, and maritime security across Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. The dialogue took place against a backdrop of U.S. President Donald Trump’s expressed willingness to resume talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, fueling speculation about renewed diplomacy.