Washington, Seoul and Tokyo may soon sign a trilateral agreement on security cooperation to counter the so-called nuclear threat from North Korea, South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik told the Bloomberg news agency.

The minister said that he expects to meet with his counterparts from the US and Japan as soon as possible to that end. He also pointed out that the priority will be to establish a system for a more effective, prompt and coherent response to North Korea’s alleged nuclear and missile threat to South Korea, the US and Japan. The agreement could be reached before the inauguration of the next US president in January 2025, the news agency added.

Earlier, the Yonhap news agency quoted sources as saying that South Korea, the US and Japan plan to hold trilateral military drills in late June amid a possible visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to North Korea. The sides are discussing the participation of the US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt in the drills. The timing, scope and content of the exercises have not yet been finalized by the parties.