Trilateral meeting between Seoul, Washington and Tokyo likely at NATO summit

National Security Director Kim Sung-han speaks during a press conference at the presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap

South Korea to set up mission at NATO

By Nam Hyun-woo

President Yoon Suk-yeol listens as his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden speaks during their summit at the presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul, May 21. Yonhap

President Yoon Suk-yeol is likely to hold a trilateral meeting with the leaders of the United States and Japan on the sidelines of the 2022 North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit, slated for June 29 to 30 in Madrid, Spain, according to officials at the presidential office, Wednesday.

Upon Yoon's visit to the NATO Summit, South Korea will also establish a NATO mission in Brussels, Belgium, aiming to strengthen Seoul's security cooperation with Europe. However, the much-touted bilateral meeting between Seoul and Tokyo is not likely to take place, considering that Japan will hold an upper house of parliament election next month.

During a press briefing, National Security Director Kim Sung-han said Yoon will attend the summit as his first overseas trip as the president. Yoon was invited to the summit along with other leaders of NATO partner nations in the Asia-Pacific region _ Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

At the summit, Yoon will focus on strengthening a "value coalition" of liberal democracies with 30 NATO members and partner countries, building a comprehensive security framework and exploring ways to respond to new security threats such as cyberattacks, terrorism and climate change.

During the summit, Yoon will participate in a session between NATO members and partner countries and deliver a speech on Seoul's strong commitment to North Korean denuclearization.

On the sidelines of the summit, Yoon is expected to hold a number of multilateral talks, including a trilateral meeting between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan.

The official said Yoon will engage in a four-way meeting between South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, and "chances remain open" for the Seoul-Washington-Tokyo talks.

"Trilateral talks are bound to focus on security cooperation," another official at the presidential office said. "And the only subject of the trilateral security cooperation is North Korea and its nuclear ambition."

Recently, the North has been escalating tensions in Northeast Asia by test-firing ballistic missiles. Also, multiple reports have suggested that the bellicose regime may conduct a nuclear test in the near future.

Given Yoon, who took office last month, has pledged to respond sternly to North Korea's threats and to strengthen ties between the three countries, chances are high that the leaders may agree on a renewed commitment to deter Pyongyang's provocations.

In this March 11 file photo, then-President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol talks to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during a phone call at the People Power Party's headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul. Courtesy of People Power Party

On the other hand, a formal bilateral meeting between Yoon and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida seems unlikely.

"We are ready to open our mind and improve bilateral relations with Japan, but there are concerns in both countries whether the leaders will be able to focus on important matters that directly affect each other while meeting on the sidelines of a summit in a third country with Japan's election coming up next month," the first official said.

Seoul's relations with Tokyo remain frosty after Japan imposed export restrictions on key industrial materials to South Korea over historical issues in 2019. Yoon has displayed a strong willingness to mend ties, sparking speculation of a bilateral meeting between the leaders.

However, Japan's House of Councillors election, slated for July 10, poses obstacles. Since a summit between South Korea and Japan is bound to entail talks over historical issues, which is a sensitive subject for both sides, a result that can be favorable to Seoul may affect the sentiment of Japanese voters, especially those who are conservative, watchers said.

"Since there will be a four-way meeting between Asia-Pacific countries, chances are high that the leaders of South Korea and Japan will have at least three encounters during the summit," the second official said. "It is impossible to anticipate things now, but there is still a chance that a casual pull-aside meeting between the leaders could take place."

During the summit, Yoon is also expected to have approximately 10 bilateral meetings with the leaders of the U.K., France, Poland, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Canada, Denmark and other countries, another official at the presidential office said.

With those countries, Yoon is expected to share his opinions on economic security, nuclear power, defense, semiconductors and other advanced technologies, the officials said.

Meanwhile, Yoon's wife, Kim Keon-hee, is also likely to accompany the president on the trip, as the summit has an official program for the spouses of leaders.