S. Korea-U.S.-Japan summit to become a new chapter

President Yoon Suk Yeol, U.S. President Joe Biden, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will hold a summit on August 18 at Camp David, the presidential compound near Washington, DC. The three countries are also coordinating the release of a written communique. The outcome could include strengthening trilateral cooperation against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats. "The two countries (South Korea and Japan) have rapprochement (recently)," Biden said of the summit, calling it a "fundamental change" (in their bilateral) relationship since World War II.

"The leaders will reaffirm the strong bonds of alliance and friendship between the U.S., Japan, and South Korea, and celebrate a new chapter in our trilateral relationship," White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement Friday. "The summit is an important milestone in the development of cooperation between the three countries, which share core values, to a new level," South Korean presidential office spokesman Lee Do-woon said in a written briefing Saturday.

The South Korean, U.S., and Japanese leaders will continue their meeting from August 18 morning next month at Camp David in a ‘retreat’ style, which allows for free-flowing discussions without restrictions on format or topic. The leaders will reportedly share a luncheon but not a dinner. "If there is a consensus, of course, the three sides will produce a document," a key South Korean government official said. "The format (joint statement, press release, etc.) needs to be coordinated from now on."


Jin-Woo Shin niceshin@donga.com · Joo-Young Jeon aimhigh@donga.com