Japan reports absent from Japan-US-Korea joint press conference... Top of Korean police force visits Takeshima = Korea Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Choi Jong-gun, the first secretary of the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who is visiting the United States, said on the 17th (local time) that "the joint press conference scheduled after the Japan-US-Korea Foreign Ministers' talks were cancelled. The side has conveyed the position that it is not possible to attend the meeting due to the issue of the Chief of Police visiting Dokdo (Korean name of Takeshima)."

Choi continued, "We have agreed that the host country, the United States, will disclose the results of the Korea-US-Japan Deputy Ministerial Conference through an exclusive press conference" and "because we recognize that the Korea-US-Japan Deputy Ministerial Conference is important."

Vice-Minister Choi, Assistant Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Wendy Ruth Sherman, and Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Takeo Mori were scheduled to hold a joint meeting after holding a Japan-US-Korea Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Washington this morning. Only the secretary showed up.

"There were some disagreements between Japan and South Korea as before" Sherman said. "One of these disagreements led to a change in the format of today's press conference."

Prior to this, Korean police chief Kim Chang-ryong visited Takeshima on the 16th (Japan time) to encourage guards. This is the first visit to Takeshima, the top Korean police force, in 12 years since 2009.

In response, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno strongly protested against the South Korean government.