Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, Jr., hosted Chairman of the Republic of Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Jeong Kyeongdoo, and Japanese Chief of Staff Adm. Katsutoshi Kawano for a meeting May 29 at U.S. Pacific Command Headquarters in Hawaii.

Adm. Harry B. Harris, the outgoing U.S. Pacific Command commander, and Adm. Philip S. Davidson, the incoming U.S. Pacific Command commander, joined Dunford for the meeting.

The senior-most U.S., ROK, and Japanese military officers last met in Oct 2017 and have met six times since July 2014.  This session featured discussions on multilateral cooperation that ensures readiness to respond to any regional contingency and promotes long-term peace and stability in northeast Asia.

Dunford reaffirmed the ironclad commitment of the U.S. to defend both the ROK and Japan if called upon and to provide extended deterrence guaranteed by the full spectrum of U.S. military capabilities, including conventional, nuclear, and missile defense. 

The senior military leaders agreed to continue working together to further mutual security issues in order to enhance peace and stability in the region.