Yoon, Biden, Kishida agree to upgrade trilateral cooperation
HIROSHIMA South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed yesterday to upgrade trilateral cooperation to a new level, Yoon's office said.
The three leaders reached the agreement during talks held on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit, noting their meeting followed Kishida's visit to the US in January, Yoon's visit to Japan in March, which opened a new chapter in South Korea-japan relations, Yoon's state visit to Washington in April, and Kishida's visit to Seoul earlier this month, according to presidential spokesperson Lee Do-woon.
"They agreed to develop three-way cooperation to a new level," he said in a written briefing, adding the leaders agreed to further strengthen trilateral strategic cooperation to bolster deterrence against North Korea's "nuclear threat", and reinforce the free and open international order based on the rule of law.
During yesterday's meeting, they agreed to deepen detailed cooperation in various areas, including in the sharing of missile warning data, in their Indo-pacific strategies, and with respect to economic security and engagement with Pacific Island nations, Lee said.
US President Joe Biden yesterday invited the leaders of Japan and South Korea to formal three-way talks in Washington, a senior US administration official said.
The official said the timing for the meeting would be worked out "soon," and there were no further details immediately available.
Earlier, Yoon and Kishida made a historic visit yesterday to a memorial for Koreans killed in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.
It was the first time leaders of the two countries have jointly visited the memorial, and only the second time a Japanese prime minister has done so.
"This will be remembered as a courageous action by Prime Minister Kishida that paves the way for a peaceful future while expressing grief for the Korean victims of the atomic bombing," Yoon said at a bilateral meeting after the visit.