President Yoon Suk Yeol (left) on Aug. 18 speaks at the joint news conference of the trilateral summit with the U.S. and Japan at Camp David in Maryland. (Office of the President) 

By Park Hye Ri

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Aug. 18 said, "Grounded in the core values of freedom, human rights, and the rule of law, a strong alliance of values among Korea, the U.S., and Japan will help build a world that's more peaceful and prosperous by serving as a sturdy foundation."

Speaking at the joint news conference of a trilateral summit with U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Minister Fumio Kishida at Camp David, a presidential treat in Maryland about 100 km north of Washington, President Yoon added, "Today, we, the three leaders, affirmed our commitment to the trilateral partnership towards a new era and possibilities thereof."

"Camp David is a site that bears historical significance where important diplomatic decisions were made at critical junctures of modern history," he added in a statement. "In order to respond to today's unprecedented polycrisis, the ties between our three countries, which are the most advanced liberal democracies in the region and major economies leading advanced technology and scientific innovation, are more important than ever."

"Today, we have agreed on the Camp David principles that will function as the enduring guidelines for our trilateral cooperation. In addition, we have developed the Spirit of Camp David, which is a document embodying the vision of our trilateral cooperation and ways to translate our will to cooperate into action."

"First of all, to facilitate the stable development of our trilateral cooperation, we have built the institutional basis for the trilateral cooperation at multiple levels and sectors," President Yoon added. "In addition to making our trilateral summit regular, we have agreed to have our governments' personnel at all levels — including foreign ministers, defense ministers, and national security advisors — meet every year to closely coordinate our trilateral cooperation."

"We have agreed to step up our security cooperation to ensure our people's safety and peace in the region based on the now institutionalized Cooperation Framework," he said. "In countering the DPRK's (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) nuclear and missile threats, we concurred the trilateral defense exercises were crucial.  As such, annual plans will be established for the ROK (Republic of Korea), U.S., and Japan drills we committed to. 

"In the field of economic security directly linked to our national economies of the three countries, we will work to expand our strategic partnership," he said. "To ensure global supply chain resilience and energy security, we pledged to bolster our trilateral cooperation. To manage global supply chain risks, an early warning system will be established together."

"Specifically, in AI, quantum, bio, and next-generation telecommunications and space sectors, cooperation among our three countries will deliver powerful synergies," President Yoon added. "Korea, the U.S., and Japan committed to have their national laboratories expand joint R&D and personnel exchanges, providing a cornerstone for the three countries' leadership in science and technology innovation."

In a news release on Aug. 19, Senior Secretary to the President for Public Relations Kim Eun-hye said, "The mutual understanding by the three leaders in national security and economy is the vision President Yoon has consistently maintained," adding, "The institutionalization of the joint roles of the three countries at the Camp David summit holds historical significance in transforming the factors behind challenges stemming from global complex crises into those of opportunities."

hrhr@korea.kr