Yoon, Kishida coordinate summit at NATO Conference

It has been reported that the two countries are in final coordination over a plan to hold a summit meeting between President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who will visit Lithuania on the occasion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit.

If successful, it was reported that the issue of the discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima could be brought to the table for discussion at the fourth summit since bilateral relations were normalized following a visit to Japan in March.

Kim Tae-hyo, First Deputy Director of the Office of National Security, said at a briefing held at the Yongsan Presidential Office that President Yoon and his wife would visit Lithuania and Poland for four nights and six days, including attending the NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania from Monday to Wednesday (local time).

Japanese media reported that Japan will explain its position on contaminated water at the Korea-Japan summit. “We will not discuss in advance what agenda will be discussed,” a high-ranking official in the presidential office said. “But “if Japan mentions it, it will be, under the principle of prioritizing the public health, that President Yoon will say what is necessary.” The South Korean government is in the position that the contaminated water issue can be included on the summit's main agenda.

It is the second time since June last year that President Yoon is scheduled to attend the NATO Summit, the collective defense system of the United States and Europe, as an observer.

It was reported that at the summit, President Yoon would adopt a ROK-NATO cooperation dossier that would institutionalize bilateral cooperation across 11 areas, including the war in Ukraine, cooperation with NATO in the Indo-Pacific region, and emerging security threats. Bilateral summits with more than 10 countries, including Poland, are also scheduled.

“In response to North Korea’s escalating nuclear and missile threat, cooperation with NATO, the world’s largest military alliance, will be strengthened, and an unequivocal warning message from the international community will be sent to North Korea that it will not tolerate North Korea’s illegal activities,” a high-ranking official in the presidential office said. It is said that there is a slim chance for President Yoon to visit Ukraine in person.


Kwan-Seok Jang jks@donga.com