Korean Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Ahn Duk-geun, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, and Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Ken Saito also pledged further collaboration among the three countries in critical minerals, export controls on advanced technologies and the implementation of the U.S.-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF).
"Our shared intent is to leverage this trilateral mechanism to promote the development of critical and emerging technologies and strengthen the security and resiliency of our economies," they said in a joint statement.
They emphasized cooperation in semiconductors, saying, "We reaffirm our recognition of the essential role that semiconductors play in a wide range of industries and applications important to the growth of our economies and preservation of our national security."
They also expressed concerns about "potential supply chain vulnerabilities for strategic goods that have resulted from a wide range of non-market policies and practices," in an apparent reference to China.
Separately, Korea and Japan's industry ministers met to discuss strengthening bilateral cooperation in clean hydrogen, while Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the U.S. Department of Energy jointly hosted the U.S.-ROK (Republic of Korea) Clean Energy Forum in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday.
