From left, President Yoon Suk Yeol, U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pose ahead of their meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco, Thursday (local time). AP-Yonhap
President Yoon Suk Yeol, U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida showed the strength of their trilateral ties during a meeting at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in San Francisco, Thursday (local time), with Biden saying that he could lighten his burden thanks to Yoon and Kishida.
The remark came as Washington's diplomatic capabilities are stretched simultaneously between two wars — in Ukraine and in Gaza — causing concerns that Biden may face problems in handling geopolitical issues in the Indo-Pacific. Against this backdrop, Biden's comment is interpreted as an expression of gratitude that the amicable relations between Seoul and Tokyo are serving a pivotal role in Washington's Indo-Pacific strategy.
According to Seoul's First Deputy Director of National Security Kim Tae-hyo, the three leaders met on the sidelines of the APEC summit, and continued conversing for about 30 minutes after the meeting.
It was the first standalone meeting between the leaders after their trilateral summit on Aug. 18 at Camp David in the United States. During the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan on May 21, the three leaders spoke for about 2 minutes instead of holding a formal summit and had a photoshoot to show their commitment to trilateral cooperation.
"During the meeting, Biden said that, as the president of the U.S., he was able to lighten his burden in performing his duties, thanks to President Yoon and Prime Minister Kishida," Kim said.
According to an official at the presidential office, the leaders acknowledged the successful functioning of their trilateral comprehensive cooperation scheme established during the Camp David summit.
They shared the belief that military security can be enhanced through advanced technologies, so technological partners should have a "100 percent agreement" on each other's military, political systems and ideologies. And the leaders believe that the three countries share such relations, the official said.
"Given the current relations between the three countries, Biden's comment is interpreted as diplomatic rhetoric appreciating the importance of trilateral cooperation in the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy," said Go Myong-hyun, a research fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies.
"With the U.S. juggling two wars at the same time, it cannot afford a third geopolitical crisis, for example, like, a potential conflict in Taiwan. South Korea and Japan can make limited contributions to the war in Ukraine or the conflict between Israel and Hamas, but their improved bilateral relations are playing a key role in the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy of containing China's assertion."
President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, second from left, laugh during their summit at a hotel in San Francisco, Thursday (local time). Joint Press Corps
As Biden desires, bilateral relations between South Korea and Japan continue to improve.
Hours before the three leaders' met, Yoon and Kishida held a bilateral summit, which was the seventh one this year alone.
"This year, our bilateral cooperation is deepening at each level, including summits, and consultation bodies between our governments are already fully restored," Yoon said in his opening remarks, referring to the resumption of a series of security policies, economic cooperation and vice foreign ministerial talks.
Referring to the prime minister by his first name, Yoon said, "Going forward, I will continue to work together with Prime Minister Fumio to enable our two countries to communicate closely in each sector, including through high-level economic consultations."
Kishida said that he felt reassured by the close cooperation between South Korea and Japan in flying their citizens out of Israel, and expressed hopes of further cooperation in the fields of politics, security, the economy and culture.
The two leaders met again on the following day at Stanford University, where they held a discussion about ways that the two countries can cooperate in the hydrogen sector.
President Yoon Suk Yeol holds a discussion with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at Stanford University, Friday (local time). At center is former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice who moderated the discussion. Yonhap
During the discussion that was moderated by former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Yoon and Kishida agreed to work together to cut costs and establish international rules in the field of hydrogen.
The agreement came as cooperation in the hydrogen sector has great potential for both countries, given that Seoul has attained the No. 1 spot in the world in terms of supplying hydrogen cars and relevent batteries, and that Tokyo has a large number of hydrogen-related patents.
Seoul plans to open a Korea Startup Center in Tokyo early next year, the presidential office said, noting that it is expected to serve as a hub for startup exchanges between the two nations.
Meanwhile, a summit between Yoon and Chinese President Xi Jinping did not materialize, though the two had a brief conversation before the first session of the APEC summit. According to Seoul's presidential office, they exchanged cordial greetings and expressed gratitude for Yoon's meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Xi's meeting with Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo in September.
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