Readout of National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s Call with the National Security Advisors of the Republic of Korea and Japan Following the DPRK’s ICBM Test

19 December 2023

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan spoke this evening with National Security Office Director Cho Taeyong of the Republic of Korea (ROK) and National Security Secretariat Secretary General Akiba Takeo of Japan following the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) Intercontinental ballistic missile test. The national security advisors condemned the test, which is a flagrant violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions. Mr. Sullivan reaffirmed the United States’ unwavering commitment to the defense of Japan and the ROK, and the national security advisors agreed that their engagement was an important exercise of the Commitment to Consult made at the historic Camp David Trilateral Summit in August. They noted that their December 9 National Security Advisors trilateral meeting in Seoul — the fourth such meeting of the Biden Administration — had allowed them to strengthen their coordination and resolve against continued DPRK provocations. They also underscored the importance of their work to share missile warning data and to coordinate responses to growing cooperation between Russia and the DPRK.