Presidential Office: "Yoon to Hold Korea-US-Japan and Korea-US Summits During Southeast Asia Tour"

Regarding the Agenda of the Korea-US-Japan Summit "Likely to Focus on North Korea's Nuclear and Provocation Issues"

On the 16th, one day before President Yoon Seok-yeol's 100th day in office, the Presidential Office building in Yongsan-gu, Seoul is shown. President Yoon, emphasizing the elimination of authoritarianism, moved the stage of state affairs from the former Blue House to Yongsan. With the president's office relocated to Yongsan, the Blue House has been fully opened to the public. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] The trilateral summit between South Korea, the United States, and Japan, as well as the South Korea-US summit, will be held simultaneously during President Yoon Seok-yeol's upcoming Southeast Asia tour (June 11-16).

A presidential office official stated during a briefing at the Yongsan Presidential Office on the afternoon of the 10th, "President Yoon has directly confirmed that the South Korea-US-Japan summit is finalized," adding, "Along with the trilateral summit, the South Korea-US summit is also scheduled." However, the detailed schedule and location of the South Korea-US summit were not disclosed.

President Yoon will visit Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and Bali, Indonesia, sequentially from June 11 to 16 to attend ASEAN-related summits and the G20 summit.

On the morning of the same day, during a door-stepping (brief Q&A on the way to work) at the Yongsan Presidential Office, President Yoon stated, "The South Korea-US-Japan summit is confirmed, and several bilateral meetings have also been confirmed or are in progress." Leading U.S. media outlets, citing White House announcements, reported that the trilateral summit will be held on June 13 at the ASEAN summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

A presidential office official mentioned that the agenda for the trilateral summit will likely focus on "the most urgent issue requiring joint response: the North Korean nuclear issue and provocations by North Korea."

Regarding the South Korea-Japan and South Korea-China summits, the official reiterated the existing position that "nothing has been concretely confirmed yet" and that further consultations are necessary.

In response to criticisms about neglecting relations with China and questions about a face-to-face meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the official said, "It is difficult to predict whether there will be any meeting with President Xi during this tour, but as has been explained several times in security briefings, various dialogues continue from a mutually beneficial perspective."