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Japan-US and South Korea summit eyed over North Korea

Japanese Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio hopes to meet with his US and South Korean counterparts while visiting Southeast Asia this month. (Reuters/file)
Japanese Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio hopes to meet with his US and South Korean counterparts while visiting Southeast Asia this month. (Reuters/file)
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04 Nov 2022 10:11:56 GMT9
04 Nov 2022 10:11:56 GMT9

TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio hopes to meet with his US and South Korean counterparts while visiting Southeast Asia this month, amid rising tensions following North Korea’s missile tests, informed sources said Friday.

Through the trilateral summit with US President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, Kishida apparently aims to highlight the unity among the three countries as part of efforts to strengthen deterrence against North Korea amid heightened concern about a possible nuclear test by Pyongyang.

Kishida is considering holding separate talks with Biden and Yoon while also seeking a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the sources said.

The Japanese leader plans to visit Cambodia to attend summits related to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, to be held for four days from Thursday.

He will also travel to Indonesia to take part in a summit of the Group of 20 advanced and emerging economies to be held for two days from Nov. 15, while planning to visit Thailand for a two-day summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum from Nov. 18.

As Biden and Yoon are unlikely to attend the APEC summit, Kishida is considering holding the trilateral summit with them in Cambodia or Indonesia, the sources said.

The last Japan-US-South Korea summit was held in Madrid, Spain, in June this year.

Kishida has yet to hold a formal in-person meeting with Yoon since the launch of the current South Korean administration in May this year. They only had informal talks in the United States in September.

This was because there was no prospect in sight for solving pending bilateral issues including those linked to wartime labor.

Meanwhile, Seoul has shown its eagerness to improve its relationship with Japan.

The security environment surrounding Japan is becoming increasingly severe due to a series of provocations by North Korea, including ballistic missile launches.

Former Prime Minister Taro Aso, vice president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, met with Yoon in Seoul on Wednesday. Some speculate that the session was held to pave the way for a summit between Kishida and Yoon.

The expected trilateral summit would cover North Korea’s nuclear and missile development programs, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, China’s maritime expansion in the East and South China seas and the situation in Taiwan, the sources said.

So far, Kishida and Xi have held talks only over the telephone. The only session took place in October last year, when Kishida took office.

This year marked the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and China, while Xi has recently secured a third term in power.

“If we miss this opportunity, it would be difficult to find a good time” for a summit with Xi, a senior Japanese Foreign Ministry official said.

JIJI Press

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