On Saturday, October 12, 2024, the South Korean National Security Advisor stated that the leaders of South Korea, the United States, and Japan are expected to hold a trilateral summit at the end of this year.
Earlier that day, South Korea’s presidential office, the Blue House, announced that President Biden of the United States proposed holding a trilateral summit before the end of this year.
During the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit held in Laos, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken conveyed this proposal to South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.
If the trilateral summit takes place, it will follow up on the historic trilateral meeting held at Camp David last year, where Biden, Yoon Suk Yeol, and Japan’s new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will gather.
South Korea’s National Security Advisor, Shin Won-sik, stated in an interview with TV Chosun that if the trilateral summit occurs, it is likely to take place around the end of this year, following the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and G20 summits.
“There is a consensus to hold the summit before the end of the year,” he added.
The APEC and G20 summits are both scheduled for mid-November, with the United States holding its election on November 5.
Under the efforts of the Biden administration, President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea and former Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida have overcome decades of mutual suspicion and hostility. Last August, they held a trilateral summit at Camp David.
In efforts to strengthen deterrence against the Communist Party of China, address North Korea’s nuclear threats, and counter North Korea’s increasing military ties with Russia, the leaders of the three countries unanimously agreed to deepen military and economic cooperation and hold annual meetings.
The think tank of Republican candidate and former President Trump has assured Japanese and South Korean officials that he will continue the Biden administration’s efforts to deepen trilateral relations to jointly confront the threats posed by China and North Korea.