[News Today] ROK-US-JAP JOINT STATEMENT

[LEAD]
The leaders of South Korea, the U.S., and Japan marked the first anniversary of their Camp David summit yesterday. They issued a joint statement, reaffirming their commitment to cooperate against common threats. They also underscored that trilateral collaboration is indispensable.

[REPORT]
The leaders of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan held a summit at Camp David in August last year.

They declared that the trilateral cooperation would evolve into a comprehensive partnership that would promote peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.

Yoon Suk Yeol / President (Aug. 2023)
Today we have reaffirmed our commitment to and possibility of trilateral
cooperation to usher in a new era.

To mark the first anniversary of the summit, the three leaders have issued a joint statement.

It says the principles established at Camp David serve as a roadmap for unparalleled cooperation, and the three countries stand by their commitment to consult on regional challenges, provocations, and threats affecting their collective interests and security.

The statement also says cooperation between South Korea the United States and Japan is indispensable for meeting today’s challenges.

Kim Tae-hyo / Principal Deputy Nat'l Security Adviser
The trilateral cooperation, which used to be limited to security, now encompasses
the economy, cutting-edge technology, cyberspace and human exchanges.

With a presidential election in the U.S. slated for the end of this year and the Liberal Democratic Party election in Japan slated for September, there are concerns that the replacement of the two countries' leaders could impact the trilateral cooperation.
However, Seoul's presidential office says firmly there will be no impact whatsoever.

It says both the ruling and opposition camps of Washington and Tokyo are strongly committed to continuing the Camp David cooperation.

Regarding annual summits that the three leaders had agreed upon, Seoul says they will have a chance to get together on the sidelines of several international meetings later this year, and that all three leaders are in favor of holding a summit within this year.