By Kang Seung-woo
President Park Geun-hye's "surprise" proposal for a trilateral summit with China and Japan is intended to calm concerns over Korea's diplomatic isolation amid a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape, analysts said Friday.
"The trilateral relations between Korea, China and Japan have soured for nearly two years, but after the summit between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe earlier this week, Park seems to have decided to offer the summit," said Prof. Lee Won-deog of Kookmin University.
China and Japan are in disputes over territory and history.
Korea National Diplomatic Academy professor Kim Hyun-wook said that Park made the offer in the wake of first summit since Xi and Abe took office, which was held on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Beijing, Monday.
"After the China-Japan summit, Park was supposed to sit down with Abe. However, a bilateral meeting is still uncomfortable and risky because nothing substantial may emerge, so she proposed the trilateral meeting, which is less problematic," Kim said.
Park said during Thursday's ASEAN+3 summit in Myanmar that she hoped to meet Xi and Abe soon, following a foreign ministers' meeting. The last such trilateral summit took place in May 2012.
Senior presidential secretary for foreign affairs Ju Chul-ki said Friday that Cheong Wa Dae was seeking to hold a meeting of foreign ministers from the three countries in late December.
"We estimate that if the foreign ministers' meeting takes place and conditions mature, we will be able to decide the details of the three-way summit," Ju said in Brisbane, Australia, host city for the G-20 meeting.
There were rumors that perhaps Korea might fall behind its neighbors after the summit, and North Korea's sudden release of two Americans last week.
The analysts said the proposal was good, albeit belated.
"As Korea is the rotating chair of the three-way summit, we had a great opportunity to do so," Lee said.
"It is really important to take advantage of the three-way framework in pursuing common peace and prosperity in East Asia."
Japan's lobbying against Korea in Washington D.C. was also behind Park's proposal, Kim noted.
"Japan has plenty of money and lobbying power in Washington, and if it continues such lobbying, Korea's stance on relations with Japan may lose support among U.S. policymakers," he said.
Meanwhile, Park, who arrived in Brisbane, Friday, will attend the G-20 summit that also includes U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin. They will discuss a wide range of issues including inclusive growth.
Park is also scheduled to meet with Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz, Sunday, to seek ways to extend bilateral cooperation.
President Park Geun-hye's "surprise" proposal for a trilateral summit with China and Japan is intended to calm concerns over Korea's diplomatic isolation amid a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape, analysts said Friday.
"The trilateral relations between Korea, China and Japan have soured for nearly two years, but after the summit between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe earlier this week, Park seems to have decided to offer the summit," said Prof. Lee Won-deog of Kookmin University.
China and Japan are in disputes over territory and history.
Korea National Diplomatic Academy professor Kim Hyun-wook said that Park made the offer in the wake of first summit since Xi and Abe took office, which was held on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Beijing, Monday.
"After the China-Japan summit, Park was supposed to sit down with Abe. However, a bilateral meeting is still uncomfortable and risky because nothing substantial may emerge, so she proposed the trilateral meeting, which is less problematic," Kim said.
Park said during Thursday's ASEAN+3 summit in Myanmar that she hoped to meet Xi and Abe soon, following a foreign ministers' meeting. The last such trilateral summit took place in May 2012.
Senior presidential secretary for foreign affairs Ju Chul-ki said Friday that Cheong Wa Dae was seeking to hold a meeting of foreign ministers from the three countries in late December.
"We estimate that if the foreign ministers' meeting takes place and conditions mature, we will be able to decide the details of the three-way summit," Ju said in Brisbane, Australia, host city for the G-20 meeting.
There were rumors that perhaps Korea might fall behind its neighbors after the summit, and North Korea's sudden release of two Americans last week.
The analysts said the proposal was good, albeit belated.
"As Korea is the rotating chair of the three-way summit, we had a great opportunity to do so," Lee said.
"It is really important to take advantage of the three-way framework in pursuing common peace and prosperity in East Asia."
Japan's lobbying against Korea in Washington D.C. was also behind Park's proposal, Kim noted.
"Japan has plenty of money and lobbying power in Washington, and if it continues such lobbying, Korea's stance on relations with Japan may lose support among U.S. policymakers," he said.
Meanwhile, Park, who arrived in Brisbane, Friday, will attend the G-20 summit that also includes U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin. They will discuss a wide range of issues including inclusive growth.
Park is also scheduled to meet with Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz, Sunday, to seek ways to extend bilateral cooperation.
