Strengthening 'Trilateral Cooperation' Through Korea-Japan → Korea-US → Korea-US-Japan Chain Talks
Prime Minister Kishida Invites President Yoon to G7... "Positive Step"
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida invited President Yoon Suk-yeol to the 2023 Group of Seven (G7) summit to be held in Hiroshima in May. If President Yoon attends, it will mark a series of summit diplomacy starting with the Korea-Japan summit last week, followed by the Korea-US summit next month, and then the Korea-US-Japan summit. The trilateral cooperation to respond to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats and supply chain crises is expected to be further strengthened.
According to local media such as the Yomiuri Shimbun on the 21st, Prime Minister Kishida met with reporters during his visit to New Delhi, India, the day before and invited President Yoon to the G7 summit in Hiroshima in May. Japan, as the chair country of the G7 this year, has the authority to select guest countries.
This year's G7 summit will be held under the theme of restoring the international order following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Japan is also considering inviting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, so if this materializes, President Yoon may also meet him. Currently, Ukraine is requesting South Korea to provide weapons necessary for the war. In response to Prime Minister Kishida's invitation, our government expressed a welcoming stance through a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, and the presidential office also evaluated it as a positive measure following the results of the Korea-Japan summit.
At this point, there is no reason for President Yoon not to attend the G7. Last week, the Korea-Japan summit promised recovery in security and economic sectors, and next month, President Yoon will visit the United States to strengthen multifaceted cooperation as an ally. Having met with the Japanese and US leaders respectively, this opportunity to meet the three leaders within just over a month allows President Yoon to further concretize the 'trilateral cooperation.'
Korea-US-Japan cooperation has been a core diplomatic strategy that President Yoon has established since the last presidential election process. The three leaders met at the NATO summit in Madrid, Spain, in June last year, shortly after the launch of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, and five months later, through the 'Phnom Penh Statement,' they declared the strengthening of trilateral cooperation covering global issues. A presidential office official said, "We need to review domestic and international issues before making a final decision on attendance, but for us, it is clearly a good opportunity as it is a place to discuss solidarity with other invited countries including the G7."
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