South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, US President Joe Biden, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (from left to right) are seen smiling broadly as they meet at the US presidential retreat, Camp David, on Aug 18, 2023. – The Korea Herald
SEOUL: The leaders of South Korea, the United States and Japan will announce a joint statement this weekend to commemorate the first anniversary of the historic Camp David summit, a presidential official in Seoul said Saturday (Aug 17).
The trilateral summit, held at Camp David in Maryland last August, brought together South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
The summit resulted in a series of landmark agreements aimed at strengthening cooperation among the three nations.
The joint statement, to be announced Sunday (Aug 18), is expected to commemorate the first anniversary and explore ways to maintain and stabilise the trilateral cooperation system.
"We are preparing a joint statement that will reflect the founding purpose of the Camp David cooperation framework, the achievements of the past year, and the shared concerns for future collaboration," said the high-ranking presidential official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The agreement comes at a time of political change. Kishida has announced his intention to step down next month, and Biden has also withdrawn from the upcoming presidential race.
Despite the leadership transitions in the US and Japan, the joint statement will emphasize the commitment to unwavering cooperation among the three countries.
The statement is also expected to outline trilateral support for Yoon's new unification doctrine, which he announced during his Liberation Day address Thursday (Aug 15).
The new doctrine updates a previous unification vision presented by the Kim Young-sam administration in 1994.
It focuses on expanding North Koreans' access to outside information and proposes opening an official dialogue channel between the two Koreas to discuss various issues.
Additionally, another trilateral summit is anticipated before the end of this year.
Some speculate that the summit could take place during an international multilateral meeting in October, where the leaders of the three nations may meet again.
"The timing and details of the next summit are still under discussion, and no specific decisions have been made yet," the official said.
Earlier this week, Mira Rapp-Hooper, the senior director for East Asia and Oceania at the National Security Council, hinted at the possibility of another trilateral leaders' summit before the end of this year. – The Korea Herald/ANN
