Seoul: The top diplomats from South Korea, the United States, and Japan are gathering in Manila to discuss enhancing trilateral security and economic cooperation in light of North Korea's growing relationships with China and Russia, according to officials.

According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korea's Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Japan's Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi are set to hold discussions on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meetings in the Philippine capital. These meetings include the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the East Asia Summit (EAS) foreign ministers' meeting.

This trilateral meeting follows two weeks after the diplomats convened on the sidelines of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit on July 7. Key topics are expected to include developments on the Korean Peninsula, economic security, small modular reactors (SMRs), and transnational online crime responses.

"The three ministers are expected to share assessments of recent developments in North Korea's relations with Russia and China and exchange views on effective ways to respond," stated ministry spokesperson Park Il at a press briefing.

Seoul has emphasized that the increased exchanges between North Korea and Russia, as well as with Beijing, should promote peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and encourage North Korea to return to dialogue.

North Korea is likely to skip the ARF for the second consecutive year, as it focuses on bilateral diplomacy with Russia and China, avoiding multilateral diplomatic engagements.

Earlier this month, the three diplomats reaffirmed their commitment to denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula and pursuing dialogue with North Korea. They also signed a memorandum of cooperation to establish a framework for deploying SMRs in third countries, particularly in the Indo-Pacific.

The ministry is also arranging bilateral meetings for the top diplomats with the U.S., Japan, and China.

This meeting occurs amid renewed tensions in the Middle East, where armed clashes between the U.S. and Iran continue following the collapse of a preliminary peace agreement meant to end their conflict. U.S. President Donald Trump has urged allies, including South Korea, to contribute to regional stability by helping to secure the Strait of Hormuz. The strategic waterway's maritime traffic has been disrupted since the conflict's onset in late February.