Yoon, Biden, Kishida vow to reinforce extended deterrence against North

The leaders of South Korea, the United States and Japan vowed to reinforce extended deterrence against North Korea on Sunday and urged the international community to abide by sanctions.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, center on the left table, U.S. President Joe Biden, center, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, far right on the right table, during a trilateral summit in Phnom Penh on Sunday [YONHAP]

The leaders of South Korea, the United States and Japan vowed to reinforce extended deterrence against North Korea on Sunday and urged the international community to abide by sanctions. The call was made by South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Phnom Penh as they met in a trilateral summit on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summits.

In a joint statement issued to the press after the meeting, the three leaders warned against a seventh nuclear test by North Korea, stressing that if Pyongyang carries out another test, it would face a strong and firm response from the international community. Before the trilateral meeting, Yoon separately held a summit with Biden. Yoon's office said the meeting ran about 50 minutes. Yoon also held a summit with Kishida after the trilateral summit, but details of the talks were not revealed as of press time on Sunday. In a press release, Yoon's office said Yoon and Biden reaffirmed their will to respond with "overwhelming force using all available means" in case North Korea uses "any form" of nuclear weapons.

Yoon was also said to have told Biden that it was necessary to "effectively and dramatically strengthen" Washington's extended deterrence in line with Pyongyang's advanced nuclear capabilities.

Yoon left for Cambodia on Friday and was expected to stay until Sunday to meet with leaders of the 10 Asean member nations and other regional partners. He was scheduled to depart for Indonesia on Sunday night to attend a Group of 20, or G20, summit in Bali.

The president is planning to leave Bali on Tuesday and return to Seoul on Wednesday.

While in Phnom Penh on Friday, Yoon attended a South Korea-Asean summit and vowed to help create a “free, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region” through cooperation with Asean countries in various fields, including the environment, nuclear non-proliferation and anti-terrorism.

Yoon suggested upgrading the South Korea-Asean free trade agreement to include digital trade and boosting cooperation in digital technologies, electric vehicles and batteries.

To commemorate the 35th anniversary of South Korea-Asean dialogue relations in 2024, Yoon proposed both sides upgrade their strategic partnership to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

During a bilateral summit with Cambodia on Friday, Yoon and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen agreed to improve bilateral ties on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the re-establishment of diplomatic ties this year.

Hun Sen was said to have asked for South Korea’s support in building a Cambodia-Korea Friendship Bridge across the Mekong River, to which Yoon responded positively. Construction is expected to begin next year. Yoon’s office said he expressed hope for increasing trade and investment between the two countries as a bilateral free trade agreement is expected to go into force next month.

Yoon also met with Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Friday for a summit, in which they adopted a “joint action plan” to develop ties as the countries celebrate the 10th anniversary of their strategic partnership this year.

The leaders vowed to boost cooperation in six key areas: politics and security; education, culture and tourism; health; future industry; the environment and renewable energy; and sustainable development.

On Saturday, Yoon joined Japanese Prime Minister Kishida and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang for an Asean Plus Three summit, in which he stressed the need for Asian nations to respond with “a single voice” in case North Korea tests another intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) or conducts a seventh nuclear test.

Yoon reiterated his openness to dialogue with Pyongyang and said Seoul was ready to provide economic assistance in return for denuclearization.

In a press release, Yoon’s office said Asean leaders in the meeting expressed concern over Pyongyang’s nuclear development program and urged the regime to return to denuclearization talks.

Yoon also held a summit with Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. on Saturday, in which he expressed hope for cooperation in infrastructure and nuclear power.

In opening remarks, the Philippine president said it was time to upgrade relations to a strategic partnership.

On Sunday, Yoon joined an East Asia Summit with leaders of Asean member countries and seven other dialogue partners – the United States, Japan, China, Russia, India, Australia and New Zealand.

There, he reaffirmed the need for a “firm” response to Pyongyang should it carries out another ICBM test or nuclear experiment, saying that North Korean denuclearization was a “precondition” for a peaceful Indo-Pacific region.

Yoon also called out Russia for invading Ukraine, saying South Korea was determined to increase humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. Representing Moscow during the East Asia Summit was Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

South Korean first lady Kim Keon-hee, who accompanied Yoon to Cambodia, visited sick children while she was there and encouraged them to recover soon.

On Friday, Kim visited a hospital run by a South Korean doctor and another hospital that receives South Korean aid. On Saturday, she visited the home of one Cambodian 14-year-old boy who’s suffering from a congenital heart disease. The first lady went to see him after hearing that he had planned to see Kim at one of the hospitals she visited the day before but couldn’t make it because he wasn’t feeling well.

Yoon’s trip to Cambodia was his first visit to Southeast Asia and his third overseas trip since being inaugurated as president in May.

Yoon attended a NATO summit in Madrid in late June and made a three-country tour in September to Britain, the United Nations General Assembly in the United States and Canada.

After his return to Seoul, Yoon is scheduled to hold a summit with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Thursday and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Friday.

BY LEE SUNG-EUN [lee.sungeun@joongang.co.kr]