Trilateral summit reportedly in the works for NATO event

The United States is reportedly in talks with South Korea and Japan to arrange a trilateral summit on the sidelines of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit to be held in Washington in July.

From left, Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pose for a photo during a trilateral summit at Camp David near Thurmont, Maryland on Aug. 18, 2023. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

The United States is reportedly in talks with South Korea and Japan to arrange a trilateral summit on the sidelines of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit to be held in Washington in July.

U.S. President Joe Biden is considering inviting Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to the NATO event and holding a three-way summit on its sidelines, Japan's Kyodo News reported Sunday, quoting diplomatic sources.

It reported that the agenda for the meeting could include strengthening the defense posture of the three countries' militaries, facilitating trilateral information sharing and expanding cybersecurity cooperation. Views on the North Korea nuclear issue are also expected to be exchanged.

Seoul has yet to confirm a trilateral summit.

The three leaders held their first standalone trilateral summit at the Camp David retreat in Maryland in August 2023.

The three leaders agreed to hold a regular trilateral summit at least once a year following the historic Camp David meeting.

They have also held multiple trilateral meetings on the sidelines of multilateral events over the past year, including on the margins of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, or APEC, gathering in San Francisco last November.

Both Biden and Kishida took part over video conference in the third Summit for Democracy earlier this month, hosted by South Korea.

The Summit for Democracy is a U.S.-led multilateral gathering launched in 2021 to boost solidarity and shared values among democratic countries.

The upcoming NATO summit, hosted by the United States and to be held from July 9 to 11, marks the 75th anniversary of the North Atlantic alliance.

The last NATO summit was held in July 2023 in Vilnius, Lithuania, and was attended by Yoon and Kishida, who were invited as heads of partner countries.

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]