Phnom Penh's 'Northeast Asia Diplomatic Big Day' on the 13th... EAS, Korea-Japan, Korea-US, Korea-US-Japan Summits

Main Topic is 'North Korea Nuclear Response'... Possibility of Trilateral Joint Statement at ROK-US-Japan Summit

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Phnom Penh (Cambodia) = Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] On the third day of President Yoon's Southeast Asia tour on the 13th, a series of East Asia Summit (EAS), Korea-Japan, Korea-US, and Korea-US-Japan summits are being held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where the ASEAN summit is taking place, marking a "Northeast Asia diplomatic big day." In particular, with bilateral and multilateral talks scheduled consecutively with the United States and Japan, attention is focused on whether joint responses to bilateral issues and the North Korean nuclear threat will be discussed.

A senior official from the Presidential Office said at a briefing held on the 12th in a press room set up at a hotel in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, "The Korea-Japan summit was just confirmed," adding, "The Korea-Japan summit will be held tomorrow and is expected to last about 30 minutes."

He further explained, "I think Korea-US-Japan security cooperation played a kind of driving role in the Korea-Japan summit," and "Both Korean and Japanese leaders feel the need for close communication. At present, both sides have mutually agreed to hold the summit."

The official added, "The order may be variable, and it is difficult to confirm here," but said, "I think the order will be Korea-Japan, Korea-US, and Korea-US-Japan summits." Previously, the Korea-US bilateral and Korea-US-Japan trilateral summits had been confirmed. In these summits, responses to North Korea's nuclear program and compensation issues related to forced labor during Japanese colonial rule are expected to be discussed significantly.

Regarding the agenda for the Korea-US and Korea-US-Japan summits, the official said, "It has not been mechanically confirmed in advance. We have to see tomorrow," and did not give a definitive answer. However, the possibility of discussing responses to the North Korean nuclear issue and ways to strengthen extended deterrence remains open. The White House had previously mentioned the possibility of "strengthening US military power" in relation to North Korea. The official predicted, "It will not be an increase in US troops," and "I think it refers to more proactive measures related to the deployment of US strategic assets."

Regarding the issue of amending the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the official said, "It is currently difficult to gauge how specifically US President Joe Biden will speak on that issue," and added, "It is expected that President Yoon will raise the issue in some form."

There is also a possibility that a joint statement by the three countries on responding to North Korea's nuclear threat will be issued at the Korea-US-Japan summit. It has been about five months since the last official summit of the three countries, which was held at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Madrid, Spain, at the end of June.

The East Asia Summit (EAS) will also be held. The EAS is a strategic forum for discussing major security issues within the East Asian region. President Yoon plans to explain Korea's basic stance on regional and international issues at this meeting and emphasize Korea's active commitment to freedom, peace, and prosperity.

However, regarding the possibility of a Korea-China summit, a Presidential Office official said, "We will have to keep watching," leaving room for possibility.

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