Kuala lumpur: South Korea, the United States, and Japan are arranging to hold three-way talks among their senior diplomats in Malaysia, diplomatic sources revealed. The meeting is set to occur on the sidelines of multilateral meetings hosted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Kuala Lumpur.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the discussions will involve South Korea's First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya. The details of the meeting are still being finalized, marking the first high-level engagement among the senior diplomats of the three nations since the establishment of the Lee Jae Myung government in June. This meeting underscores their continued commitment to the trilateral partnership built under their previous administrations.
The talks are timely as Seoul engages in negotiations with Washington regarding steep U.S. tariffs, which have also impacted Tokyo. The meeting follows South Korea's national security adviser Wi Sung-lac's recent visit to Washington, where he held discussions with Rubio on these tariff measures and other alliance issues. Wi emphasized efforts to facilitate a "mutually beneficial" deal, with Rubio expressing agreement.
U.S. President Donald Trump recently dispatched letters to Korea, Japan, and other trading partners, notifying them of the "reciprocal" tariffs set to go into effect on August 1, following an extension of the initial July 9 deadline. The planned talks are anticipated to cover regional security issues, particularly the growing military ties between North Korea and Russia.
Additionally, the discussions might address China's increasing assertiveness amid its rivalry with the U.S., potentially focusing on the Taiwan Strait and related matters. Park Yoon-joo will participate in the talks in lieu of the foreign minister, as the nomination process is still pending parliamentary confirmation.