Japanese Media: "Han-Jung-Il Coordinating High-Level Diplomatic Meeting in Seoul Around the 25th"

South Korea, China, and Japan are coordinating to hold a high-level working-level consultation of their foreign ministries in Seoul around the 25th, Kyodo News reported on the 8th, citing multiple diplomatic sources. The high-level consultations among the foreign ministries of Korea, China, and Japan have drawn attention as they could lead to foreign ministers' talks and summit meetings, raising interest in whether the three leaders will gather in one place within the year.

President Yoon Suk-yeol and Chinese President Xi Jinping are shaking hands at the Korea-China summit held at a hotel in Bali, Indonesia, on November 15 last year (local time). [Image source=Yonhap News]

Kyodo News reported that although China opposes the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean, the three countries seem to agree on the importance of continuing high-level dialogue. A Japanese government official said, "South Korea, as the chair country, is enthusiastic," and added, "Japan will not put on the brakes."

If the meeting takes place, it is expected that Jeong Byeong-won, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of South Korea, Takehiro Funakoshi, Director-General for Foreign Policy of Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Nong Rong, Deputy Director-General of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will attend. The Korea-China-Japan summit meetings began in December 2008 when then-President Lee Myung-bak of South Korea, Premier Wen Jiabao of China, and Prime Minister Tar? As? of Japan met in Fukuoka, Japan. Since then, a total of eight meetings have been held, but the last one took place in December 2019 in Chengdu, China, and none have been held since.

On the 6th, President Yoon Suk-yeol stated at the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) +3 (Korea, Japan, China) summit, "We intend to closely communicate with the Japanese and Chinese governments to resume trilateral cooperation mechanisms, including the Korea-Japan-China summit, as soon as possible."