August 19, 2024
SEOUL – The leaders of South Korea, the United States and Japan on Sunday reaffirmed their commitment to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and underscored their readiness to confront the world’s “greatest challenges” through trilateral cooperation.
Seoul, Washington and Tokyo released a joint leaders’ statement to “commemorate the tremendous progress” made in their trilateral cooperation over the past year, following the unprecedented standalone summit at Camp David on Aug. 18, 2023.
The summit between Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida led to the creation of the “Camp David Principles,” a comprehensive framework for guiding trilateral cooperation, and the “Spirit of Camp David” joint declaration, which detailed the specific actions for collaboration based on the principles.
“We are resolved to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, remain aligned in our shared vision, and stand ready to meet the world’s greatest challenges,” the English-language statement read Sunday.
“We hold an unshakeable belief that cooperation between Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the United States is indispensable for meeting today’s challenges and will set the stage for a prosperous future,” it added, referring to South Korea by its official name.
The one-year anniversary statement further reaffirmed the key agreements from the Spirit of Camp David joint declaration, including the governments’ commitments to expeditious consultations for coordinated responses to regional challenges, provocations, and threats impacting their shared interests and collective security, as well as deepening their partnership at the multifaceted level.
“We stand by our commitment to consult on regional challenges, provocations, and threats affecting our collective interests and security,” the statement read.
“We renew our commitment to enhancing security cooperation — girded by the ironclad US-Japan and US-ROK alliances — deepening the alignment of our shared economic and technological priorities, increasing coordination on global health initiatives, and further expanding the robust people-to-people ties between our three countries.”
The three leaders praised the achievements of their trilateral cooperation, highlighting milestones such as the execution of the first-ever trilateral multidomain exercise Freedom Edge in June and the signing of a new Trilateral Security Cooperation Framework by defense chiefs in July.
The statement also underscored the progress made by their trilateral working groups in combating North Korea’s efforts to fund its weapons of mass destruction programs through cybercrime and other illicit activities.
“The spirit of the Trilateral Leaders’ Summit continues to inspire us, and the principles we established at Camp David serve as a roadmap for our unparalleled cooperation,” the statement read.
Sustainability matters
A senior South Korean presidential official on Sunday dismissed growing concerns about the sustainability and durability of trilateral cooperation, noting that the eventual departures of Biden and Kishida are approaching.
Both Biden and Kishida have announced their decisions not to seek reelection in the upcoming US presidential election in November and the September election for the leader of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which will determine the next prime minister.
“The three leaders who built the Camp David cooperation framework cannot hold their positions indefinitely,” the official said during a briefing on condition of anonymity.
“Across the political spectrum in both Japan and the US, there is widespread recognition of the US-Korea alliance’s importance, the significance of Korea-Japan relations, and the value of the Camp David agreements. Consequently, regardless of any leadership changes in the US or Japan, support for Camp David remains unwavering.”
The official stated that the three countries have been in discussions to hold their first summit of the year before the end of this December, explaining that the trilateral summit has not yet occurred due to “political circumstances” in each country.
“There will likely be two or three opportunities in the second half of the year for the three leaders to meet on the sidelines of international events,” the official said. “Washington and Tokyo share the view that it would be desirable to hold a trilateral summit this year, as promised. Discussions on the specific timing are currently in the early stages.”
The three leaders committed to holding summits at least annually in the spirit of the Camp David statement.
Speaking at a Hudson Institute event in Washington on Thursday, Mira Rapp-Hooper, senior director for East Asia and Oceania at the White House National Security Council, confirmed that the three countries pursue holding a trilateral summit before the end of this year.
Rapp-Hooper also underscored the trilateral efforts over the past year to “increasingly institutionalize all these different forms of trilateral cooperation so that they will be built to withstand change and endure for the long term,” despite the inevitable political shifts that come with democratic systems.
Jo Yang-hyeon, head of the Center for Japanese Studies at the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security, stressed that the Yoon administration should proactively pursue diplomatic initiatives to maintain and build on the momentum of trilateral cooperation while mitigating potential risks associated with the upcoming leadership elections in the US and Japan.
Observers warn that a return to office by former US President Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, who favors bilateral agreements over multilateral collaboration, could undermine the trilateral cooperation that has been a central focus of the current Biden administration.
“The timing is crucial, as Japan’s new cabinet will be decided in September, followed by the US presidential election results in November, about a month and a half later,” Jo told The Korea Herald this month.
“During this interim period, it is imperative that we engage in diplomatic efforts with Japan to maintain the current level of trilateral cooperation between South Korea, the US and Japan. This appears to be the most prudent course of action available to us.”