Yoon "Opened a New Chapter of Cooperation... Looking Forward to Meeting in Korea Next Time" (Comprehensive)

Repeated Emphasis on Comprehensive Cooperation in Security and Economy Among Three Countries
Annual Summit Meetings of Korea, US, and Japan Leaders and Establishment of Development Policy Consultative Body
Contaminated Water Not Discussed... "Safety First, Trust in IAEA Inspection Results"

President Yoon Suk-yeol on the 18th (local time) evaluated the Korea-US-Japan summit held at Camp David near Washington DC, USA, as "opening a new chapter of cooperation." He especially emphasized, "Today, the three leaders confirmed the will and potential for trilateral cooperation toward a new era."

At a joint press conference following the Korea-US-Japan summit, President Yoon referred to the historical significance of Camp David, the US president's retreat, stating, "This will be remembered as a historic place where the three countries declared their commitment to promoting a rules-based international order based on shared values of freedom, human rights, and the rule of law, and to playing a central role in regional security and prosperity."

President Yoon Suk-yeol is speaking at the joint press conference of the South Korea-US-Japan summit held at Camp David, the US presidential retreat near Washington DC, on the 18th (local time). From left: President Yoon, US President Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Above all, he stressed the will for comprehensive cooperation among the three countries in security, economy, and other areas. President Yoon said, "To ensure the stable development of Korea-US-Japan cooperation, we have established institutional foundations for trilateral cooperation at various levels and fields," highlighting the annual holding of the Korea-US-Japan summit and the regularization of high-level consultations.

Along with the economic security dialogue led by the three countries' NSCs, he also proposed the establishment of a consultative body for cooperation on development policies. Based on this, cooperation systems in various fields such as global health and women’s issues are also targeted for establishment.

Regarding security in particular, he stated, "Based on institutionalized cooperation foundations, we have agreed to further strengthen security cooperation to ensure the safety of the peoples of Korea, the US, and Japan and peace in the region," emphasizing, "The real-time sharing of North Korean missile warning information, agreed upon at the Phnom Penh summit last November, will be fully operational within this year, which will be an important advancement in enhancing the three countries' capabilities to detect and track North Korean missiles."

Additionally, he added, "We will intensify efforts to monitor and block labor and human rights exploitation used to finance North Korea’s nuclear and missile development, and have decided to establish a trilateral working group to respond to North Korean cyber activities to prevent illegal funding."

Regarding the real-time sharing system of North Korean missile warning information agreed to be operational within the year, he elaborated, "It will be an important advancement in strengthening the three countries' capabilities to detect and track North Korean missiles." He continued, "The three countries oppose unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force in the Indo-Pacific strategy process," and explained, "We will further strengthen cooperation to uphold the rules-based international order, including respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, and peaceful resolution of disputes."

President Yoon concluded by expressing gratitude for President Biden’s hospitality, saying, "I look forward to the three leaders meeting again in Korea next time."

Meanwhile, the issue of contaminated water discharge did not come up as an agenda item at the Korea-Japan summit that day. However, President Yoon stated, "We trust the inspection results of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which has international credibility," and added, "It must be handled through a transparent process based on science." He reaffirmed the government's basic policy, saying, "Therefore, the health and safety of the peoples of the three countries and all humanity must be prioritized."

On the same day, President Yoon held a Korea-Japan summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for about 20 minutes and evaluated that cooperation between the two countries is progressing rapidly in various fields, supported by the improvement of Korea-Japan relations. At this meeting, the two leaders agreed to enhance cooperation between Korea-US-Japan and Korea-Japan to respond to the escalating North Korean nuclear and missile threats. They also agreed to closely coordinate among Korea, the US, and Japan to implement UN Security Council resolutions related to North Korea.

Cooperation in economic and financial fields was also discussed. The two leaders plan to activate consultation channels more actively, including the resumption of the high-level economic dialogue in the second half of the year, aiming to achieve concrete results that the peoples of both countries can feel in a wide range of areas such as economy, finance, energy, human exchanges, and education.

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