On Thursday, May 9, 2024, the Vice Commandant for Operations, Japan Coast Guard signed a Letter of Intent with the Commander of the U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area, U.S. Coast Guard, among cooperation of CG agencies of Japan, Korea and the U.S.

The Letter of Intent signing ceremony took place at the USCG Pacific Area Base in Alameda, California.

The Letter of Intent was signed by Vice Commandant for Operations WATANABE YASUNORI, JCG; Commander Andrew J. Tiongson, Pacific Area, USCG; and Deputy Commissioner General O SANG GWON, KCG.

The thre

e countries agreed to take various actions to promote and enhance peace and stability in Asia and the Pacific under the "Spirit of Camp David," the joint statement announced at the Japan-Korea-U.S. Summit Meeting in August 2023.

The three countries agreed that, in providing support to enhance maritime security capabilities, the three CG will recognize the importance of efforts to preserve maritime resources; counter illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing; respond to maritime search and rescue (SAR) and maritime environmental response events, and facilitate improvements in maritime law enforcement in Asia and the Pacific, and will work together to enhance cooperation in these areas.

The Deputy Commissioner General KCG had signed this Letter of Intent on March 29 and handed over to the USCG on April 5. Then, this Letter of Intent comes into effect by signing between Japan and the U.S.

Prior to the signing ceremony, a meeting was held between the Vice Commandant for Operations, JCG and Commander Tiongson, USCG and high rank officers reviewed the progress of the Japan-U.S. collaboration and exchanged views on the further promotion of collaboration through multilateral CGs, including Japan-Korea-U.S. CG.