Kishida Meets Biden, Yoon On Sidelines Of Asean Summits
Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has met with his US and South Korean counterparts on the sidelines of the ASEAN summits in Cambodia. North Korea was at the top of the leaders' agenda, as Pyongyang has continued to take provocative actions at an unprecedented pace.
Kishida held a three-way summit with US President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and called for greater cooperation.
Kishida said that as further provocations are expected from North Korea, "Japan, the US and South Korea should further strengthen our cooperation and respond resolutely."
Biden and Yoon have indicated they are on the same page on North Korea. They pledged to strengthen their alliances.
Biden said, "We face more challenges but our countries are more aligned than ever, more prepared to take on those challenges than ever."
Yoon said that cooperation between South Korea, the US and Japan is "a powerful fortress to protect universal values and achieve peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia." He added that he hopes "our cooperation will be further strengthened through today's meeting."
Kishida also had one-on-one talks with Yoon on Sunday, marking the first official meeting between the two countries' leaders in almost three years.
Kishida told reporters after the meeting that the two leaders had agreed to seek an early solution to pending bilateral issues, including wartime labor.
The South Korean presidential office said both leaders recognized active discussions on the issues have been making progress, and agreed to continue dialogue to reach an early accord.
Observers say relations had deteriorated under Yoon's predecessor to their worst level since the countries normalized ties.
But the current president has expressed willingness to improve relations since he took office in May. Kishida is believed to be hopeful the talks will be a turning point toward an improved relationship.