South Korea: Vice FM to visit US and Japan for talks on trilateral cooperation

Seoul (The Uttam Hindu): South Korea's First Vice Foreign Minister, Kim Hong-kyun, will visit the US and Japan this week for a five-day diplomatic trip focused on strengthening trilateral cooperation between the three countries, particularly on North Korea-related issues Seoul's foreign ministry announced on Sunday. Kim's trip starting later this Sunday will first take him to Washington for discussions with his US counterpart on bilateral relations trilateral cooperation with Japan and North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats. He will then proceed to Tokyo for vice ministerial-level talks on the three-way cooperation with the US and preparations for the 60th anniversary of the normalization of relations between South Korea and Japan in the coming year.

The visit follows President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment on December 14, triggered by his brief imposition of martial law, which has raised concerns about Seoul’s policy alignment with Washington and Tokyo, particularly as Donald Trump's new administration prepares to take office next month. Under Yoon’s leadership, South Korea has been working to enhance trilateral security cooperation with the US and Japan given the increasing nuclear and missile threats from North Korea. In light of the uncertainty surrounding the incoming US administration, South Korea’s foreign ministry has established a task force to develop response strategies to the new administration's foreign policy approach. During the recent talks among South Korea the US and Japan, the three countries acknowledged the importance of exploring ways to contribute collectively to peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region a discussion that marked the second round of talks since their inaugural meeting in January.