Yoon "Diplomatic and Security Achievements with Biden" Biden "Proud"... Farewell Summit (Comprehensive)

10-Minute South Korea-US Summit Held in Peru
South Korea, US, and Japan Agree to Establish Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat

President Yoon Suk-yeol shakes hands with U.S. President Joe Biden at the Korea-U.S. summit held at the Lima Convention Center in Peru on the 15th (local time). Photo by Yonhap News

President Yoon Suk-yeol and outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden held a "farewell meeting" on the 15th (local time) in Lima, Peru, where the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit was held. The two leaders reflected on their achievements together and agreed to continue close South Korea-U.S. relations in the future.

President Yoon had a conversation with President Biden during the first session break of the APEC summit, and then met three times in total throughout the day, including the South Korea-U.S.-Japan summit and the South Korea-U.S. summit, National Security Office First Deputy Director Kim Tae-hyo briefed.

At the South Korea-U.S. summit, President Yoon said, "I thank President Biden for contributing to strengthening the South Korea-U.S. alliance and South Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation," adding, "Most of the diplomatic and security achievements I am proud of in the first half of my term were accomplished together with President Biden."

President Biden responded, "I am grateful to have achieved many important things together with President Yoon," and said, "I am proud of it."

The two leaders reflected on the achievements made together during the farewell meeting. A senior official from the presidential office said, "Since this was President Biden's last meeting with President Yoon as a sitting president, it was conveyed as a conversation recalling how they worked together with very affectionate feelings, cherishing, trusting, and relying on each other."

The official also commented on the election of Donald Trump as the next president, saying, "Despite the emergence of new U.S. leadership, President Biden promised to continue supporting our president and the South Korea-U.S. relationship and to assist from behind." The South Korea-U.S. summit lasted about 10 minutes that day.

President Yoon Suk-yeol, who is visiting Peru to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, is taking a commemorative photo with U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at the Lima Convention Center on the 15th (local time) before the Korea-U.S.-Japan summit meeting. Photo by Yonhap News

Prior to the South Korea-U.S. summit that day, at the South Korea-U.S.-Japan summit, President Yoon, President Biden, and Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru agreed to establish a trilateral cooperation secretariat. The trilateral cooperation secretariat is an institutional mechanism that performs functions to review and coordinate cooperative projects in various fields such as security, economy, advanced technology, and human exchanges.

Deputy Director Kim said regarding the launch of the South Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation secretariat, "The three countries agreed to continue developing the cooperative system launched last year with the Camp David agreement," adding, "The secretariat will rotate every two years among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan in that order, and it will soon be established within our Ministry of Foreign Affairs and operated for two years."

A presidential office official told reporters, "First, an operating board will be formed with one senior official from each country assigned," adding, "South Korea will appoint an official at the counselor level, the U.S. at the deputy assistant secretary level, and Japan at the deputy director-general level of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as members of the operating board." The presidential office explained that the South Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation secretariat will operate an executive committee and can form a project management task force (TF) if necessary.

At the South Korea-U.S.-Japan summit that day, President Yoon emphasized, "The South Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation secretariat will be a solid foundation leading greater cooperation among the three countries." The summit lasted 40 minutes.

Deputy Director Kim said regarding the South Korea-U.S.-Japan summit, "One of the most important outcomes of the Camp David summit last August was the agreement to make the South Korea-U.S.-Japan summit an annual event, and today's meeting fulfilled that agreement," adding, "At this summit held one year and three months after Camp David, the three leaders evaluated the historic progress of trilateral cooperation and agreed that South Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation must continue to develop steadily without wavering."