Korea, U.S., Japan tout 'unshakeable belief' in cooperation a year after Camp David summit

The leaders of Korea, the United States and Japan issued a joint statement one year after the Camp David summit stressing their "unshakeable belief" in their countries' three-way cooperation.

Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, U.S. President Joe Biden, center, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, take a commemorative photo ahead of their trilateral summit at Camp David near Thurmont, Maryland, on Aug. 18, 2023. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

The leaders of South Korea, the United States and Japan released a joint statement Sunday stressing their "unshakeable belief" in their trilateral security cooperation and the progress following their historic Camp David summit one year ago, in light of anticipated leadership changes in Washington and Tokyo.

"We stand by our commitment to consult on regional challenges, provocations, and threats affecting our collective interests and security," the statement released on the anniversary of the summit read. "Over the past year, we have demonstrated our unwavering commitment to these shared objectives through close consultation and coordination on priorities in the Indo-Pacific and beyond."

On Aug. 18 last year, Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held a historic stand-alone three-way summit at Camp David in Maryland, where they agreed to immediately consult each other in the event of threats to their collective interests and security.

The three leaders adopted three documents at the summit: "Commitment to Consult," "The Spirit of Camp David" and "Camp David Principles."

They said through Sunday's statement that the "spirit" of the trilateral summit "continues to inspire us, and the principles we established at Camp David serve as a road map for our unparalleled cooperation."

They noted the progress made by the three countries in combating efforts by North Korea to generate revenue for its weapons of mass destruction programs through cybercrime and other illicit means.

"We are resolved to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, remain aligned in our shared vision, and stand ready to meet the world's greatest challenges," the statement continued.

The leaders stressed that they "hold an unshakeable belief" that cooperation among their three countries "is indispensable for meeting today's challenges and will set the stage for a prosperous future."

The presidential office in Seoul said on Sunday that the major achievements of the Camp David summit have provided the basis to expand the geographical scope of cooperation from not only on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific region but also to the global arena.

Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Kim Tae-hyo said during a briefing at the Yongsan presidential office that the three leaders were in agreement that the Camp David summit was "a milestone that opened a new era of Korea-Japan-U.S. cooperation."

Such cooperation between Seoul, Tokyo and Washington "has developed to an unprecedented level" and has also led to tangible benefits for their people, he noted. It has further "contributed to enhancing our status as a global pivotal country."

Kim noted that the scope of the trilateral cooperation, which was previously limited to the traditional security field, has entered a comprehensive cooperation stage encompassing the economy, advanced technology, the cyber realm and human exchanges.

He added that the institutional foundation has been laid over the past year, such as making the trilateral summit annual, along with regular communication between foreign affairs, defense, national security and finance and industry officials.

In the security field, a real-time data-sharing system for North Korean missile warnings was initiated last December. In June, Seoul, Washington and Tokyo convened their first multi-domain Freedom Edge exercise, meant to encourage trilateral interoperability to ensure peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific region.

In late July, the three countries signed their new Trilateral Security Cooperation Framework, which institutionalizes security cooperation among defense authorities.

The leaders' latest statement appears to reflect the three countries' continued commitment to trilateral cooperation despite an anticipated change in leadership in both the United States and Japan.

Last month, Biden bowed out of the upcoming U.S. presidential race, endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democrat's candidate for the election in November, pitting her against former U.S. President Donald Trump, the Republican candidate. While analysts point out Harris would likely carry on the foreign policies of the Biden administration, Trump, since his days as president, has questioned the importance of U.S. support for its allies, including offering a U.S. nuclear umbrella to South Korea and Japan.

Likewise, Kishida announced earlier this month that he will step down next month and not run for a second term as leader of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

The three countries are in agreement on holding a trilateral leaders' summit within the year, a senior presidential office in Seoul told reporters Sunday.

"A summit has not yet been held in consideration of the domestic political situations of the three countries, including this being a U.S. presidential election year," the official added.

The presidential official assured that the three countries' support for the Camp David agreements remains steadfast, regardless of a potential change in leadership in the United States and Japan.

There is a possibility that a meeting between the leaders of the three countries could take place on the margins of international conferences scheduled for later this year, such as an Asean-related meeting to be held in Laos in October, the G20 summit in Brazil or APEC gathering in Peru in November.

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