U.S. Coordinates Trilateral Summit with South Korea and Japan During the July NATO Summit

On the 31st, Kyodo News reported, citing diplomatic sources, that the U.S. government is coordinating plans to host a trilateral summit in July involving the United States, South Korea, and Japan.

According to the report, the Biden administration is currently coordinating plans to invite President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan to a trilateral summit during the upcoming North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit scheduled to be held in Washington D.C. in July.

Kyodo News has indicated that the agenda for this summit may include discussions on enhancing defense postures by the U.S., South Korea, and Japan, facilitating smoother information sharing, and expanding cybersecurity cooperation. Additionally, there are expectations that opinions on responding to Russia, which has invaded Ukraine and is enhancing military cooperation with North Korea, will also be exchanged.

Furthermore, it was added that the U.S. government aims to collaborate with the governments of South Korea and Japan to address economic security concerns, including establishing supply chains for critical materials such as semiconductors, in response to financial pressures from China.

Previously, the leaders of the U.S., South Korea, and Japan had agreed during a trilateral summit held at Camp David near Washington D.C. on August 18 last year to convene regular summits at least once a year.

Kyodo News reported that the forthcoming summit in July would be the regular summit meeting following this agreement.

Furthermore, the three countries’ leaders met separately in San Francisco on November 16, three months after the Camp David meeting, on the occasion of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.

President Biden and Prime Minister Kishida also attended the third Summit for Democracy held at the Blue House’s Yeongbingwan, chaired by President Yoon, via video conference on the 20th.

If President Yoon and Prime Minister Kishida attend the NATO summit in July, it would mark their third consecutive participation.

They attended the NATO summit in Spain in June 2022 for the first time as leaders of South Korea and Japan, respectively.

At the NATO summit held in Lithuania last July, leaders from South Korea, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand participated as Asia-Pacific partners.

Earlier in the day, the Sankei Shimbun reported that the U.S. government is coordinating with the Japanese government to invite Prime Minister Kishida to the NATO summit, which is scheduled to be held in Washington, D.C., from July 9 to 11.

The newspaper observed that President Biden’s decision to extend the invitation to Prime Minister Kishida again this year stems from his emphasis on cooperation with NATO and the Indo-Pacific region. Additionally, it aims to strengthen the unity of NATO member states, many of whom have shown signs of fatigue in supporting Ukraine, by actively involving Prime Minister Kishida, who has demonstrated active support for Ukraine, in the summit discussions.