U.S. Secretary of State Lloyd Austin speaks during his first in-person meeting with South Korean Defense Minister Suh Wook at the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan District, Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap

By Jung Da-min

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has called for a trilateral cooperation between the U.S., South Korea and Japan, to counter regional challenges posed by China and North Korea.

The U.S. defense chief emphasized the importance of the three-way cooperation for regional security in Northeast Asia, during his first in-person meeting with South Korea's Defense Minister Suh Wook at the defense ministry in Seoul, Wednesday, the first day of his visit here together with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Noting it was his first visit to South Korea since the launch of the Joe Biden administration in late January, Austin said his visit was to "reaffirm the United States' commitment to defense of the Republic of Korea" (ROK), as the Biden administration has stressed its commitment to reinvigorating its alliances in Asia.