Senior diplomats from the United States, Japan, and South Korea convened in Tokyo for the fourth session of their Trilateral Diplomatic Working Group, focused on countering cyber threats linked to North Korea.

The two-day meeting, held on August 27–28, brought together representatives from 19 government agencies across the three nations. Key officials included Jonathan Fritz (U.S. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs), Miyake Fumito (Japan’s Ambassador for Cyber Policy), and Baek Yoon Jeong (ROK Deputy Director General for International Security and Korean Peninsula Policy).

Discussions centered on disrupting North Korea’s ability to fund its weapons programs through illicit cyber operations. The group reviewed progress in targeting DPRK-linked IT workers, financial facilitators, and digital laundering networks. They also explored future collaboration on autonomous sanctions, AI industry engagement, and law enforcement coordination.

The trilateral effort aims to restrict North Korean actors from accessing global financial systems and exploiting private sector vulnerabilities — a strategic move to curb the regime’s cyber-financed proliferation activities.