한미일 외교장관회담 가져,... 폼페이오 중재자 되나?
Amid the war of words between Foreign Ministers Kang Kyung-wha and Taro Kono at the ASEAN Foreign ministers' meeting over in Thailand, the ministers held a trilateral meeting with their closest ally, the U.S., just about half an hour ago.
For more, we connect live to our foreign affairs correspondent Lee Ji-won who is in Bangkok.
Ji-won fill us in
Daeun, the meeting is expected to have finished just a few minutes ago,... but we do not yet have any details on it for now.
What many of us had initially expected is that Pompeo would play the role of mediator,... according to what he said en route to Bangkok a few days ago.
Speaking to the traveling press, Secretary Pompeo said that he will mediate between the two countries and help them find a path forward.
But with the war of words between Seoul and Tokyo having gotten fierce,... it remains to be seen whether they discussed the issue today.
Meanwhile, Ministers Kang and Kono were supposed to have their separate bilateral talks with Secretary Pompeo before the trilateral sitdown, but both of them got canceled due to the delay in schedule.
Ji-won so we hear the main event, ASEAN Regional Forum is currently underway?
Yes Daeun, the ARF is where all the 10 ASEAN ministers and their 10 dialogue partners take part,... and it's also the only meeting in which the North Koreans participate.
So, North Korea's ambassador to Thailand, Kim Je-bong, is also at the event.
While we also don't have much details on it for now,... the meeting normally focuses on the political and regional security issues, so we're not sure if Kang will bring up Seoul's trade issue with Tokyo at this meeting.
But we are expecting the diplomats to send out a message of concern and or warning to the North Koreans as they've been firing missiles lately.
I will bring you more updates on these talks, once the details are out.