The U.S. and Japan held a summit in Washington in April to discuss security and economic issues in the Indo-Pacific, pledging to deepen cooperation to deter North Korean military and cyberthreats and reiterating their commitment to denuclearization. 

President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also emphasized the importance of a summit with Kim Jong Un, which the latter suggested could be “hugely beneficial to the peace and stability of the region.” Pyongyang is far more invested in bolstering ties with partners sympathetic to its regime practices and opposition to global U.S. leadership, however. North