South Korea, U.S., Japan's vice foreign ministers to assemble in Seoul for trilateral talks

The vice foreign ministers of South Korea, the United States and Japan are set to meet in Seoul this Wednesday for trilateral talks focused on countering North Korean threats, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.

South Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun, right, poses with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, center, and Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Masataka Okano at Iron Bell Farm in Virginia, in this file photo taken on May 31.

South Korea, the United States and Japan are set to hold a vice-ministerial meeting in Seoul on Wednesday for trilateral talks focused on countering North Korean threats, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.

South Korea’s First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun will host U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Masataka Okano for the discussions. Alongside the trilateral meeting, Kim will hold separate bilateral talks with Campbell on Wednesday and with Okano on Thursday.

These trilateral meetings, part of a regular dialogue mechanism, are held to strengthen coordination on matters such as North Korea's nuclear program as well as on regional and global issues. The last session was held in May at Campbell’s private residence near Washington.

"In this upcoming meeting, the three vice ministers will engage in deep discussions on cooperation regarding regional and global issues, including the Korean Peninsula, while exploring the future development of trilateral collaboration," the ministry stated.

The talks come amid heightened tensions triggered by North Korea’s recent claim that South Korean drones infiltrated Pyongyang’s airspace to drop leaflets.

The upcoming talks are expected to cover the scheduling of a trilateral leaders' summit later this year, potentially to coincide with events such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Peru or the G20 summit in Brazil. Both events are slated for November.

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]

If the summit takes place this year, it will be the first trilateral meeting since Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba took office.

South Korea's presidential office said Saturday that U.S. President Joe Biden proposed holding the summit before the end of the year in a message conveyed to President Yoon Suk Yeol.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken relayed Biden’s proposal during a dinner hosted by the Prime Minister of Laos at the Asean summit on Thursday, stressing the importance of continuing the "spirit of Camp David," as declared at the trilateral Camp David summit in August last year.

"I look forward to maintaining close communication, and I expect that we will have an opportunity to meet by the end of the year," Yoon was quoted as saying by his office.

A senior official from South Korea’s presidential office added that the summit is aimed at continuing trilateral cooperation, regardless of leadership changes in Japan or the U.S. presidential election outcome, according to local media outlets.

South Korea's National Security Adviser Shin Won-sik, in an interview with local broadcaster KBS on Sunday, said that while it may be difficult to hold the summit before mid-November due to the upcoming APEC and G20 meetings, there is growing consensus around holding the trilateral talks "as soon as possible."

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]