Korea, U.S. Japan discuss joint military exercises and trilateral summits

Korea, the U.S., and Japan are finalizing the remaining details for formalizing trilateral summits and regular joint military exercises. The upcoming trilateral summit, scheduled to take place at Camp David in the U.S. on Friday (local time), is anticipated to encompass these particulars within the jointly issued statement.

During a phone call with The Dong-A Ilbo on Friday, a senior official from the presidential office shared, “We are currently engaged in discussions aimed at formulating a comprehensive framework and strategy for the military exercises involving South Korea, the U.S., and Japan.” This statement was made in response to a report by Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun on the same day, which indicated that “South Korea, the U.S., and Japan intend to incorporate the specifics of regularized joint military exercises into a collaborative joint statement, thereby enhancing the depth of trilateral cooperation.”

“We are not in the process of devising entirely new military exercises,” the official said. “Regularization aims to methodically structure the current military exercises involving South Korea, the U.S., and Japan.” The official emphasized that ‘regularization’ revolves around the organized execution of training that has been conducted. Evidently, given the sensitivity surrounding military training involving Japan from the perspective of the Korean government, it is discernible that a distinct boundary has been established about the initiation of novel military exercises.

The formalization of the South Korea-U.S.-Japan summit is poised to attain official status during this imminent summit. Underlining this development, a government official emphasized, “Consensus has already been solidified regarding the regularization of the trilateral summit.” Simultaneously, Japan's Kyodo News conveyed a parallel report on the day, asserting that South Korea, the U.S., and Japan have concurred to convene a summit meeting at a minimum annual frequency.


dapaper@donga.com