S Korea-US-Japan summit to lead to security cooperation framework: official

SEOUL - This week's trilateral summit involving South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, United States (US) President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will lead to the establishment of a "key framework" for security cooperation among the three countries.

Yoon is scheduled to depart Thursday to attend the summit at the US presidential retreat Camp David, near Washington, the following day, Yonhap news agency quoted Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae Hyo during a press briefing on Sunday.

Talks are also underway to arrange a South Korea-US summit and a South Korea-Japan summit on the sidelines, he said.

"Through this summit, we will be able to create a key framework in the future for trilateral security cooperation between South Korea, the US and Japan, and institutionalise it," Kim said noting the leaders will use the summit to discuss a common vision and basic principles for trilateral cooperation, as well as to build comprehensive and multilayered cooperation mechanisms across diverse sectors at every level.

Kim added the summit will also serve to further strengthen trilateral security cooperation for peace and stability in the region in the face of common threats, with the leaders holding in-depth talks on practical cooperation measures to respond to North Korea's nuclear and missile threat.

In addition, the three leaders will discuss measures to cooperate for joint regional prosperity and future growth, including ways to cooperate on cutting-edge technologies and strengthen partnerships to respond to economic security issues, such as supply chain and energy risks.

Moreover, Kim said the summit will serve as a "pivot" in the three countries' pursuit of freedom, peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.

"Through the upcoming South Korea-US-Japan summit, Camp David will be recorded in 21st-century diplomatic history as the site that opened a new chapter in trilateral cooperation," Kim said.

"Trilateral consultations between South Korea, the US and Japan will gain a clear independent identity as an Indo-Pacific cooperation body."

The three leaders will have lunch together and also hold a joint press conference to announce the results of their talks.

This will be the first standalone trilateral summit among the three countries, though their leaders have met a total of 12 times on the sidelines of multilateral gatherings, beginning with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in 1994.

Yoon will depart the US on Friday evening to return home. He will not be accompanied on the trip by first lady Kim Keon Hee, according to a presidential official. - BERNAMA-YONHAP