Vice FMs of S. Korea, U.S., Japan vow cooperation ahead of trilateral summit in Aug.

▲ South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (R) speaks with U.S. President Joe Biden (L) and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida ahead of their three-way talks in Hiroshima, Japan, on May 21, 2023. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

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Vice FMs of S. Korea, U.S., Japan vow cooperation ahead of trilateral summit in Aug.

SEOUL, July 24 (Yonhap) -- The vice foreign ministers of South Korea, the United States and Japan agreed Monday to work closely together to successfully hold a trilateral summit of their leaders next month, Seoul's foreign ministry said.

First Vice Foreign Minister Chang Ho-jin and his U.S. and Japanese counterparts, Wendy Sherman and Takeo Mori, also discussed ways to boost trilateral cooperation against North Korea's threats during their phone talks earlier this day.

The three sides assessed that their trilateral cooperation has "advanced to a new level" based on the strong commitments of their leaders and expected the upcoming summit to serve as a turning point in achieving stronger cooperation, the ministry said.

President Yoon Suk Yeol is expected to hold the trilateral summit with U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at Camp David, near Washington, on Aug. 18.

This will be the first time the three leaders will meet solely for the purpose of a trilateral summit, not on the margins of a multilateral gathering.

The vice ministers also strongly condemned North Korea's provocations, including its recent ballistic missile launch, and agreed to strengthen security cooperation to address the North's nuclear and missile threats.

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