U.S., Japan & S. Korea Vow Strong Response In Case Of N. Korean Nuclear Test

The U.S., Japan and South Korea agreed to take strong measures against any new nuclear drill by North Korea, Seoul's top security advisor Kim Sung-han said Thursday after meeting his U.S. and Japanese counterparts in Hawaii.

• "(We) agreed that there must not be naive thinking or reaction that North Korea has conducted six nuclear tests and that (a new test) will only be one more nuclear test," Yonhap News quoted Kim as saying before he left for South Korea. The official added that any punitive measures would be different than in the past, without providing any details.
• The White House's readout of the meeting noted that the U.S. "reaffirmed its ironclad alliance commitments to both the ROK and Japan, including our commitment to extended deterrence to both countries and underscored the importance of bilateral ties and trilateral cooperation to the security and prosperity of our citizens, the region, and the world."
• As touted by the local press, on the fringes of the trilateral summit Kim conveyed South Korea's reservations about the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act to National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, who promised that the White House would look into these concerns.