Seoul: South Korea, the United States, and Japan will engage in trilateral talks among their top diplomats during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) gathering this week, as announced by Seoul's foreign ministry on Tuesday. The meeting is scheduled to occur in a closed-door format on Wednesday afternoon, with no further details provided by the ministry.
According to Yonhap News Agency, this meeting is anticipated to follow summit discussions between South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump, as suggested by diplomatic sources. It will be the inaugural three-way talks involving Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi since the new Japanese cabinet was formed under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, elected as leader last week.
The meeting aims to reinforce the commitment of the three nations to enhance their trilateral partnership. There have been questions about the continuity of trilateral cooperation given President Trump's "America First" policy and the imposition of aggressive tariffs affecting the U.S.'s key Asian allies and other countries.
The election of Japan's first female leader, known for her hard-line stance on historical issues related to Japan's colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula, has brought uncertainty to South Korea-Japan relations. However, a trilateral meeting among President Lee, President Trump, and Prime Minister Takaichi is not expected to take place at this time, according to sources.