The leaders of South Korea, the United States, and Japan reaffirmed their commitment to trilateral cooperation in a joint statement released on Aug. 18. This statement comes as U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida face potential leadership changes, with both expected to step down from their roles. Despite these anticipated changes, the leaders emphasized their continued commitment to the trilateral alliance.
Marking the first anniversary of the Camp David summit, the leaders declared their “unwavering belief” in the importance of trilateral cooperation for addressing current challenges and ensuring a prosperous future. They pledged to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and to confront major global challenges together.
The statement highlighted significant progress over the past year, praising the Camp David principles as a roadmap for their unprecedented collaboration. The leaders reiterated their efforts to enhance regional and global security and prosperity.
They also committed to consulting on regional challenges and threats affecting their shared interests. The leaders pledged to strengthen security cooperation through the robust U.S.-South Korea and U.S.-Japan alliances, align economic and technological priorities, and deepen global health initiatives and people-to-people ties.
Significant achievements noted in the statement include the first-ever trilateral military exercise, “Freedom Edge,” the signing of a new security cooperation framework, and efforts to counter North Korea’s illicit funding of its weapons of mass destruction program through cybercrime. The leaders celebrated these accomplishments and the progress made by trilateral working groups.
