Yoon: "Strengthening ROK-US-Japan Cooperation, Must Firmly Establish Institutional Foundations and Willingness to Collaborate" (Comprehensive)

Trilateral Summit Remarks
Yoon: "Three Nations Must Unite to Protect Freedom"
Biden Expresses Gratitude for Improved Korea-Japan Relations
Kishida: "Expand Cooperation in Economy and Security"

President Yoon Suk-yeol emphasized on the 18th (local time) that "to further strengthen the trilateral cooperation among Korea, the United States, and Japan, it is necessary to firmly establish an institutional foundation for this purpose," adding, "Moreover, we must steadfastly solidify the three countries' commitment to cooperate in addressing challenges that threaten regional security."

In his opening remarks at the Korea-US-Japan summit held at Camp David near Washington DC on the morning of the same day, President Yoon stated, "I am honored to open a new chapter of trilateral cooperation at Camp David, which holds great symbolic significance in modern diplomatic history."

President Yoon also expressed his pleasure in meeting again with U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, saying, "I am very pleased to see both of you again just over a month after the NATO summit in July," and reiterated, "I consider it meaningful to open a new chapter of trilateral cooperation at Camp David, a place symbolic in modern diplomatic history."

Quoting former President Franklin Roosevelt's famous saying, "Freedom is not given, it is won," President Yoon stressed, "Our three countries must unite firmly so that our individual freedoms are neither threatened nor infringed upon."

He particularly noted, "This is a promise and responsibility for future generations," and defined the significance of this Korea-US-Japan summit by stating, "Today will be recorded as a historic day that firmly establishes the institutional foundation and the will to advance trilateral cooperation."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Before President Yoon, President Biden began his remarks on this Korea-US-Japan summit by saying, "It is an honor to host the two leaders," and added, "This is the first time I have welcomed foreign leaders at Camp David," emphasizing, "I believe there is no better way to open a new chapter of triangular cooperation among our three countries." This is the first time the Korea-US-Japan summit has been held independently rather than as part of a multilateral meeting.

He stated, "This meeting is the first summit held separately by Korea, the United States, and Japan," and emphasized, "The unity of our democracies has grown stronger. We will become stronger, and the world will become safer. This is the shared belief we three hold."

President Biden then expressed gratitude to President Yoon Suk-yeol and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, saying, "I appreciate the political courage of both leaders," and added, "Because of this, we were able to gather here," acknowledging their efforts in improving Korea-Japan relations.

He further said, "I want to emphasize that this is a historic effort to lay the foundation for us to face the future together," and expressed hope, "I am grateful for the leadership of the two leaders, and I look forward to renewing our resolve to start a new era of cooperation and to be a force for good throughout the Indo-Pacific region together with both of you."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Finally, Prime Minister Kishida, before beginning his remarks, expressed condolences by mentioning the wildfires on Maui Island, Hawaii, and the passing of President Yoon’s father.

Prime Minister Kishida then stated, "To unlock the potential of Korea-US-Japan strategic cooperation, we aim to elevate security cooperation among Korea, the United States, and Japan to a new level by strengthening cooperation between the Korea-US alliance and the US-Japan alliance," adding, "We intend to further enhance cooperation in responding to North Korea and expand collaboration across a wide range of fields including economic and security areas, such as solidifying supply chains for important emerging technologies."

He particularly remarked, "I believe that the fact that the three leaders of our countries are gathered in one place today means that we are truly making new history today," and expressed expectations, "Now is the time to unlock the potential of Korea-US-Japan strategic cooperation by strengthening cooperation between the Korea-US alliance and the US-Japan alliance and elevating trilateral security cooperation to a new level. I have been meeting with President Yoon almost every month since March of this year."

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