President Yoon Suk Yeol (second from left) in September 2023 poses for photos with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (left), Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang (right) and Indonesian President Joko Widodo at the ASEAN Plus Three Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia. (Kang Min Seok from Office of the President)

By Park Hyeri

President Yoon Suk Yeol will conduct summit diplomacy from next week to early next month.

Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo on the afternoon of May 23 announced the schedule of the president's summits at a news briefing held at the Office of the President in Seoul.

The first event is the country's ninth trilateral summit with China and Japan from May 26-27. The last such meeting came nearly 4 1/2 years ago in December 2019 in the Chinese city of Chengdu.

On the summit's first day of May 26, President Yoon will hold bilateral talks in the afternoon with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang in that order. An official welcoming dinner will be held that evening for delegations from the three countries.

The next day, the trilateral summit will be held at the state guesthouse Yeongbingwan within the former presidential compound of Cheong Wa Dae, with President Yoon to announce a joint statement on behalf of the three countries. The leaders will also attend a trilateral business summit to encourage entrepreneurs from their nations.

"This summit will be a watershed to completely restore and normalize the trilateral cooperation structure for Korea, Japan and China," Deputy Adviser Kim said. "It will also provide an opportunity to secure momentum for future-looking and practical cooperation to bring tangible benefits to the people of the three countries."

After the trilateral summit, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the leader of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on May 28 will arrive for a two-day state visit to Korea as his country's first leader to make such a trip. 

For Sheikh Mohamed, President Yoon will hold an official welcoming ceremony, summit talks, ceremony for signing memorandums of understanding and state luncheon. 

From June 4-5, President Yoon will attend in Seoul the inaugural Korea-Africa Summit, the first multilateral meeting between Korea and countries on the continent. Delegations from over 45 countries will participate in the event. 

Deputy Adviser Kim said, "This summit is an opportunity to boost solidarity with African countries in politics, economy and society and form symbiotic and practical cooperation in economic and national security sectors such as core minerals, infrastructure, new and renewable energy, digital, agriculture, health and tourism."

"Through relay summit diplomacy, the government will strengthen its global economic security network and reinforce the playing field of opportunity to allow companies and the people to fully display their capacities." 

hrhr@korea.kr