Republic of Korea (ROK) Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Kim Myung-soo, U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, and Japan Chief of Staff, Joint Staff Gen. Yoshida Yoshihide convened the 22nd Trilateral Chiefs of Defense (Tri-CHOD) Meeting on July 11, 2025, in Seoul. The three chiefs of defense recognized the importance of close trilateral cooperation in addressing security challenges on the Korean Peninsula, in the Indo-pacific and beyond.
The defense chiefs condemned the DPRK’s continued development of unlawful nuclear and ballistic missile programs and agreed to continue coordination toward the complete denuclearization of the DPRK in accordance with relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs). They also discussed the deployment of the DPRK’s troops to Russia; as well as the potential transfer of military technology from Russia to the DPRK. They urged the DPRK to immediately cease all unlawful activities to destabilize the Korean Peninsula, the Indo-Pacific, and beyond, and pledged to continue working together to respond to the DPRK’s threats.
The three defense chiefs reaffirmed that trilateral security cooperation has played a key role in promoting peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific. They focused on various ways to deepen their cooperation in order to ensure peace and stability in the region.
In addition, the defense chiefs agreed to convene the 2026 Tri-CHOD meeting in the United States. Following the meeting, they jointly visited the ROK Navy 2nd Fleet Command to honor the 46 fallen sailors who were killed when the ROKS Cheonan sank in March 2010, as a result of the DPRK’s surprise torpedo attack.
