Top U.S. envoy says 'tremendous' bipartisan support in America for trilateral cooperation with S. Korea, Japan

▲ U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg (3rd from L), sitting next to Foreign Minister Park Jin (2nd from L), speaks during a luncheon event hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM) on Nov. 28, 2023, in this photo provided by AMCHAM. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

S Korea-US-Japan

Top U.S. envoy says 'tremendous' bipartisan support in America for trilateral cooperation with S. Korea, Japan

By Kim Seung-yeon

SEOUL, Nov. 28 (Yonhap) -- The United States has "tremendous" bipartisan support for its deepening three-way cooperation with South Korea and Japan, its top envoy to Seoul said Tuesday, expressing confidence that the relationship will continue to develop and remain firm.

Ambassador Philip Goldberg made the remarks at a luncheon event, stressing the commitments agreed among leaders of the three countries at the landmark Camp David summit in the U.S. in August laid the foundation for the strong tripartite cooperation based on shared values and principles.

"There is tremendous bipartisan support in the United States ... I've seen this through congressional visits, through the state visit, President Yoon's remarkable speech before the U.S. Congress. This has tremendous support on both sides of the American politics," Goldberg said during the event hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea.

"Principles that our three countries share about democratic values, about rule of law, about free market economy, we share so many of these values and interests that it's durable," he said.

In August, Yoon, U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held their first stand-alone trilateral summit at the U.S. presidential retreat and agreed to bolster three-way cooperation.

The summit produced a set of key agreements, including the "commitment to consult" each other in case of a common threat.

Foreign Minister Park Jin, who also spoke at the session, echoed the view.

"Despite any possible political changes in the three countries, there is no question that the serious commitment made in the Camp David, the principles, and the spirit will be sustainable ... which transcend politics," he said.

Park noted that the "growing confidence-building" with Japan since the warming of the bilateral ties has served to help the trilateral cooperation move forward.

"The three countries will continuously play the greatest synergy in the future in contributing to peace and freedom and prosperity for the world," he said.

On the U.S.-led multilateral Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), Goldberg said it is a strategy that brings together like-minded countries that "agree on rules to implement trade."

"It cements the United States into the region and into the rules of the region. That's something that I think the countries of the Indo Pacific are also longing for," Goldberg said.

Launched by Biden in May last year, the IPEF is largely seen as an initiative to counter China's growing influence in the region.

The 14 member states have reached agreement on three of the four pillars of the framework -- supply chain resilience, clean energy and fair economy -- with the trade part remaining.

At the second IPEF summit held in San Francisco earlier this month, the member states reached agreement on the launching of a dialogue channel for the critical minerals supply chain.

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