S. Korea-Japan-China talks have been restored

President Yoon Suk Yeol, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and Chinese Premier Li Qiang convened for the 9th South Korea-China-Japan summit on Monday. They adopted a joint declaration reaffirming that "peace, stability, and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia are our common interests and shared responsibilities."

However, unresolved differences over North Korea's denuclearization prevented the inclusion of the phrase, "We (South Korea, China, and Japan) will work towards the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," which had been a part of six previous summit declarations, including the 2019 meeting in Chengdu, China. This summit marked the ninth meeting of the South Korea-China-Japan trilateral summit. Despite the agreement to regularize the summit amid the intensifying US-China conflict and the emerging new Cold War structure, the three countries could not find common ground on critical security issues such as the North Korean nuclear threat and Taiwan.

"We each reaffirmed our positions on regional peace and stability, the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and the abduction issue," the leaders stated during the summit at the Blue House's guest house. This reflects China's emphasis on peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, and South Korea and Japan's focus on denuclearization and the abduction issue. At a joint press conference, President Yoon said, "To ensure regional peace and stability, which are our common core interests, it is crucial to work towards the denuclearization of North Korea, aiming for a free and peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula while faithfully implementing the UN Security Council resolutions (sanctions against North Korea)." Prime Minister Kishida reiterated, "We have once again confirmed that the denuclearization of North Korea and stability on the Korean Peninsula are in the common interest of our three countries." In contrast, Premier Li avoided the topic of denuclearization, stating, "China consistently promotes peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and the political resolution of Korean Peninsula issues."

The presidential office stated that President Yoon held a separate meeting with Premier Li, urging China to play a constructive role as a permanent member of the UN Security Council in maintaining the global nuclear non-proliferation regime and to cooperate on the issue of North Korean defectors. This means the Korean president requested China not to repatriate North Korean defectors. Premier Li responded that China has consistently worked towards the peaceful resolution of Korean Peninsula issues and believes that stability is also important, adding that China is well aware of South Korea's concerns. Let's continue to communicate in the future.


Kwan-Seok Jang jks@donga.com