U.S. welcomes S. Korea-Japan summit, will work with both allies to promote rule-of-law: State Dept.

The United States welcomes the summit held over the weekend between South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and will continue to work with both allies to promote peace and prosperity in the region, a state department spokesperson said Monday.

Yoon and Kishida met in Seoul on Sunday (Korea time), the first day of the Japanese leader’s two-day trip to South Korea. Kishida is the first Japanese prime minister to visit Seoul solely for a bilateral summit in 12 years.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (R) and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attend a joint press conference after their talks at the presidential office in Seoul on May 7, 2023. (Yonhap)
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (R) and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attend a joint press conference after their talks at the presidential office in Seoul on May 7, 2023. (Yonhap)

“What I will say is that we welcomed the news from this past week that the Japan-ROK summit took place, and we commend Prime Minister Kishida and President Yoon for their leadership,” state department deputy spokesperson said when asked about South Korea-Japan relations, referring to South Korea by its official name, the Republic of Korea.

The Yoon-Kishida summit came amid a thaw in Seoul-Tokyo relations following Seoul’s decision to set up a private fund to compensate Korean victims of forced labor during Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule of Korea.

Yoon had also traveled to Tokyo in March to hold a bilateral summit with Kishida, marking the first such trip by a South Korean head of state to Japan in 12 years.

“This is an important new chapter and a new beginning for our alliance partners and an example of real leadership,” Patel told the press briefing.

“This produced new momentum between like-minded countries that respect rule of law and are equally committed and share our commitment to advancing peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, and we will continue to work with, through the alliance with the ROK and Japan and other partners to advance these interests. as well,” he added.

Vedant Patel, deputy spokesperson for the state department, is seen answering questions during a daily press briefing at the department in Washington on May 8, 2023 in this captured image. (Yonhap)
Vedant Patel, deputy spokesperson for the state department, is seen answering questions during a daily press briefing at the department in Washington on May 8, 2023 in this captured image. (Yonhap)

Yoon’s bilateral summit with Kishida also followed his state visit to the United States last week, during which he and U.S. President Joe Biden signed an agreement on enhancing U.S. extended deterrence commitment to South Korea, dubbed the Washington Declaration.

After meeting with Kishida, Yoon said he did not rule out the possibility of Japan taking part in the Washington Declaration.

Patel said the U.S. would welcome increased cooperation between U.S. allies.

“I don’t have any changes to the Washington declaration to announce today,” he said when asked about Yoon’s remarks.

“But we, of course, welcome increased collaboration between our partners in the ROK and our partners in Japan, as well as increased collaboration trilaterally, as well,” he added. “We believe all of these things are good for all three of our countries. They are good for advancing peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.”

When asked about potential a bilateral summit between China and South Korea or China and Japan amid China’s apparently growing discomfort with evolving U.S. alliances, the state department spokesperson said the U.S. does not ask its allies or partners to choose sides.

“We have been very clear that we do not ask countries to choose between the United States and the PRC or the United States and any country,” he told the press briefing.

“What our relationships and our bilateral engagements are and the foreign policy we choose to pursue is about what a partnership with the United States can look like, and we are very confident in the deep partnerships that we have with Japan, as well as the ROK,” added Patel.