Yoon Engages in Comprehensive Diplomacy at APEC... Series of Summit Meetings with China-Korea, Korea-US-Japan, and Korea-Japan (Comprehensive)

Korea-US-Japan Leaders Agree to Establish Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat
Korea-China Leaders Meet After 2 Years... Opening Path to Improved Relations
Next Year at APEC Gyeongju, "Presenting a Future Blueprint"

President Yoon Suk-yeol is taking a commemorative photo with the leaders of various countries attending the 31st Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) at the Lima International Convention Center in Peru on the 16th (local time). Photo by Yonhap News

On the 17th (local time), President Yoon Suk-yeol concluded his participation in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit and his official visit to Peru in Lima, and then moved to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where the Group of Twenty (G20) summit is being held. The APEC summit, held amid concerns over the 'Trump 2.0' protectionism, came to a grand conclusion on the 16th. The 21 Asia-Pacific participating countries adopted the 'Machu Picchu Declaration,' which focuses on creating a free and predictable trade and investment environment, reaffirming their support for multilateral trade.

In particular, President Yoon took the opportunity of the APEC summit to hold a trilateral summit with U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, achieving an agreement to establish a trilateral cooperation secretariat. During the APEC period, President Yoon conducted a total of eight summits, including with South Korea-China, South Korea-U.S., South Korea-Japan, and South Korea-Peru, engaging in all-around diplomacy. He condemned North Korea's provocations and Russia's troop deployments while promoting economic cooperation with Asia-Pacific countries.

However, the much-anticipated 'surprise meeting' with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump was postponed to next year after the Trump camp indicated that official meetings with foreign leaders before his inauguration in January would be difficult.

South Korea-U.S.-Japan Leaders Reaffirm Strong Cooperation

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

The South Korea-U.S.-Japan leaders, reunited after one year and three months, agreed on the 15th in Peru during their trilateral summit to establish a trilateral cooperation secretariat to further develop the cooperation system launched by the Camp David agreement last year. The trilateral cooperation secretariat is an institutional mechanism that monitors and coordinates cooperative projects across various fields such as security, economy, advanced technology, and human exchanges. President Yoon stated, "In the midst of a global complex crisis, South Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation aligns with the national interests of all three countries and is essential for peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region." He added, "The severe regional and external security environment, as seen in North Korea's deployment of troops to Russia, once again highlights the importance of trilateral cooperation." According to the agreement among the three countries, the secretariat will rotate every two years among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan, and will soon be established within South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to operate for two years. President Yoon emphasized, "The South Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation secretariat will be a solid foundation leading to greater cooperation among the three countries."

Following this, President Yoon held a 10-minute 'farewell meeting' with President Biden, who is two months away from leaving office, reflecting on their diplomatic and security achievements and agreeing to maintain close South Korea-U.S. relations in the future. President Yoon expressed gratitude to President Biden for strengthening the South Korea-U.S. alliance and trilateral cooperation, saying, "Most of the diplomatic and security achievements I proudly consider during the first half of my term were accomplished together with President Biden." President Biden responded positively, promising, "Despite the emergence of new U.S. leadership, I will continue to support and assist President Yoon and the South Korea-U.S. relationship."

On the 15th, President Yoon also sat down with Chinese President Xi Jinping. This was their first meeting in two years since the G20 summit held in Indonesia in November 2022. President Yoon said, "Amid the upheaval in global security and economic order, I hope South Korea and China will continue close communication and cooperation as we face various challenges."

Yoon: "Please Look After Korean Companies"... Xi: "Upholding the Original Spirit of Diplomatic Relations"

President Yoon Suk-yeol, attending the 31st Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping before the South Korea-China summit at a hotel in Lima, Peru, on the 15th (local time). Photo by Yonhap News

Regarding the Korean Peninsula issue, President Yoon urged China to play a constructive role concerning North Korea's continuous military provocations, including intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches, and military cooperation with Russia, which cause instability in the region. President Xi responded, "China also hopes for a relaxation of regional tensions and does not want instability on the Korean Peninsula," adding, "We hope that only the parties involved will seek political solutions through dialogue and negotiations to peacefully resolve the issues." During the meeting, the two leaders agreed to accelerate follow-up negotiations on the Korea-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA). President Yoon requested President Xi to "carefully ensure that Korean companies operating in China can conduct their business activities in a predictable and stable environment."

President Xi evaluated, "Over the past two years, international and regional situations have changed significantly, and overall China-Korea relations have maintained momentum for development." He added, "Regardless of how the situation changes, China and Korea must uphold the original spirit of establishing diplomatic relations, maintain the direction of friendly neighborliness, and adhere to the goal of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, thereby fully leveraging the advantages of geographical proximity, cultural affinity, and economic integration."

The two leaders proposed mutual state visits, and both expressed gratitude for the invitations. A senior official from the presidential office stated, "President Xi invited President Yoon first, and President Yoon also proposed a visit by President Xi to South Korea. Since we will host the APEC meeting in Gyeongju next fall, we naturally asked President Xi to visit, and both leaders responded with appreciation for the invitations."

Second Summit with Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba... Shuttle Diplomacy Continues

President Yoon Suk-yeol shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru before their summit meeting at a hotel in Lima, Peru, on the 16th (local time). Photo by Yonhap News

On the 16th, President Yoon and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba held their second summit in Peru for 50 minutes and agreed to continue shuttle diplomacy. The two leaders expressed strong concerns about military cooperation between Russia and North Korea and agreed to further advance South Korea-Japan relations on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations next year. They also agreed that South Korea and Japan would cooperate more closely to send a united message to North Korea through the international community. The leaders agreed to continue developing the South Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation system under the new U.S. administration and to maintain trilateral cooperation with bipartisan support from the U.S. political community.

On the same day, President Yoon held a summit with Peruvian President Dina Boluarte and agreed to further expand cooperation in defense and defense industry sectors, including joint development of naval vessels. President Yoon explained, "Since the export of 20 KT-1P basic training aircraft in 2012, the two countries have maintained close defense cooperation, and this year, our company was selected as a strategic partner of the Peruvian Army and Navy to jointly promote key projects." President Yoon and President Boluarte signed a nameplate to be attached to the vessels built by Korean companies at Peruvian shipyards. President Yoon emphasized, "This nameplate will be a symbol of the deepening defense cooperation partnership between the two countries." On the 16th, President Yoon also held his first summit with newly appointed Vietnamese President Le Duong Cuong, initiating a series of bilateral meetings to expand trade, infrastructure, critical mineral supply chains, and defense cooperation between the two countries.

The 2025 APEC summit will be held in Gyeongju, South Korea, under the theme "Sustainable Tomorrow We Create Together." President Yoon expressed his aspirations, saying, "Building on the achievements in Peru, the Republic of Korea will host the 2025 APEC summit in Gyeongju, a cultural city with 2,000 years of history. At next year's summit, we will present a blueprint for a future that is more closely connected, more innovative, and prosperous in the Asia-Pacific region."