By Park Hye Ri

President Yoon Suk Yeol from Sept. 20-21 in New York will hold summits with U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida while attending the 77th United Nations General Assembly.

Speaking to journalists on Sept. 16 while heading for the presidential office in Seoul's Yongsan District, President Yoon said, "I believe that we will discuss a wide range of topics, including development of bilateral ties, various global issues and affairs involving both countries."

This will be Seoul's first summit with Tokyo in two years and nine months since a December 2019 meeting between then President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Kim Tae-hyo, Principal Deputy National Security Advisor of the National Security Office, on Sept. 15 told a media briefing at the presidential office, "We're pushing for bilateral summits with other countries participating in the U.N. General Assembly," adding, "We've agreed to hold bilateral summits with the U.S. and Japan and are coordinating the schedules."

On the specific format and time of the meetings, a high-ranking official at the presidential office was quoted as saying by Korean media including Yonhap News, "Due to a hectic schedule, each summit will be a face-to-face meeting lasting 30 minutes."

On the Korea-Japan summit, the official said, "Both sides willingly agreed that it would be good to meet at this time," adding, "We have yet to decide what to discuss in the talks."

President Yoon will also hold talks with U.S. President Joe Biden, their first in four months since their May summit in Seoul on the occasion of the American leader's visit to Korea.

President Yoon on Sept. 18 will embark on a seven-day tour of the U.K., the U.S. and Canada.

hrhr@korea.kr