First Trilateral Foreign Ministers' Meeting of South Korea, US, and Japan Since Biden's Inauguration Expected Next Month

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Eunbyeol Kim] The first trilateral foreign ministers' meeting between South Korea, the United States, and Japan since the inauguration of the Joe Biden administration is expected to be held in the U.S. next month.

According to Japan's Kyodo News on the 28th, the three countries are reportedly discussing holding a foreign ministers' meeting in the U.S. in late next month. If this meeting takes place, Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong of South Korea, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu will attend.

Kyodo News analyzed this meeting, stating, "The U.S. aims to urge South Korea and Japan to improve their relations and to utilize the trilateral framework, which has cooperated on North Korea issues, as a means to counter China." It also reported that the key interest lies in how much consensus the three countries, which show differences in their China policies, can reach during this meeting.

Kyodo News expects that Minister Chung will also attend but anticipates that negotiations to hold the meeting may face difficulties due to ongoing South Korea-Japan conflicts over historical issues. Attention is also focused on the possibility that this meeting could lead to a South Korea-Japan foreign ministers' meeting.

South Korea and Japan are in sharp conflict over how to resolve the damages claims lawsuits filed in South Korean courts by victims of Japan's forced labor and military sexual slavery. The two countries have significantly different positions on this matter. On the 21st of next month, a ruling is expected in the second lawsuit filed by the comfort women victims against the Japanese government.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.