Yoon Attends APEC and G20 Summits... "Discusses Korea-China, Korea-US, and Korea-US-Japan Summits"

Trump President-Elect Meeting Planned... "In Close Communication"
Discussion of Meeting with Xi Jinping, President of China
Plans for Bilateral Talks with Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba

Kim Tae-hyo, the First Deputy Director of the National Security Office, is briefing on President Yoon Suk-yeol's attendance at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the Group of Twenty (G20) summits on the 12th at the Presidential Office building in Yongsan, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

President Yoon Suk-yeol will visit Peru and Brazil from the 14th to the 21st to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the Group of Twenty (G20) summits, respectively. Taking advantage of these multilateral meetings, active discussions are also underway for Korea-Japan, Korea-US-Japan, and Korea-China summit talks.

Kim Tae-hyo, the First Deputy Director of the National Security Office, held a briefing at the Yongsan Presidential Office on the 12th, stating, "We will implement responsible diplomacy as a global pivotal country on the diplomatic stage of multilateral summits," and added, "This signifies expanding our diplomatic horizon and practical cooperation to Latin America."

In particular, President Yoon is pushing for a meeting with President-elect Donald Trump of the United States during these multilateral meetings.

A senior official from the Presidential Office responded to reporters' questions about the possibility of a meeting between the two sides by saying, "It is true that we are maintaining close communication with the Trump transition team," and added, "There are various variables regarding the meeting schedule, but we will inform you if there are any new developments."

Taking this overseas trip as an opportunity, President Yoon is also coordinating a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru. A Presidential Office official explained, "Discussions regarding the Korea-Japan meeting are underway, and we are actively coordinating to ensure the Korea-Japan summit takes place."

Furthermore, a Korea-China summit is also under discussion. The Presidential Office added regarding the summit between President Yoon and Chinese President Xi Jinping, "Rather than having a specific agenda, discussions will focus on ways to strengthen cooperation between the two countries."