Top diplomats of S. Korea, US, Japan to meet amid N. Korea's deepening ties with Russia, China

MANILA — The top diplomats of South Korea, the United States and Japan were set to meet in Manila on Wednesday to explore ways to strengthen trilateral security and economic cooperation and discuss coordination on North Korea amid Pyongyang's deepening ties with China and Russia, officials said.

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun will hold trilateral talks with U.S.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi later in the day on the sidelines of a series of ministerial meetings related to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the Philippine capital, according to Seoul's foreign ministry.

The three diplomats are in Manila to attend the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the East Asia Summit (EAS) foreign ministers' meeting and other related gatherings.

The upcoming trilateral meeting will take place two weeks after the three held talks on the sidelines of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit July 7.

The meeting is expected to cover a range of issues, including developments on the Korean Peninsula and in the Middle East, economic securit ...